England manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed Tottenham Hotspur man Eric Dier will captain the Three Lions when they take on Germany in a high-profile international friendly at Wembley Stadium on Friday.
“Gareth Southgate has confirmed that Eric Dier will captain England for Friday’s game against Germany,” a statement on the FA’s website read.
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Dier’s club teammate Harry Kane has been touted as the next permanent England captain but after the forward withdrew from international duty due to a knee complaint, the 23-year-old Dier was selected for the captain’s armband against the reigning World Cup champions.
“Eric is an established player in the side now. He plays with maturity and intelligence. He understands the game really well. He is also a great role model,” Southgate explained why he chose the Spurs man to lead England versus the Die Mannschaft.
Dier came up through the ranks at Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon before moving to Tottenham in the summer of 2014 and he quickly established himself as a regular with the Lilywhites.
The 23-year-old, who can play a variety of positions, including central midfield, right-back and centre-back, allows England and Spurs to play a flexible formation due to his versatility.
After playing across various junior levels for England, Dier would eventually make his senior debut in 2015 on the back of some impressive performances for the North Londoners and has accumulated 22 caps for the Three Lions.
“His approach to everything is very professional. He hardly ever misses a game and plays in an unselfish manner. I think he can be even more of a leader than he currently is and I am hoping of giving him this reward and responsibility will also bring even more out of him as well,” Southgate added.