Eric Dier admits that memories of breaking his trophy duck, while helping Harry Kane to lift his silverware curse, still gives him goosebumps. The versatile England international became a title winner alongside his close friend and fellow former Tottenham star when helping Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga crown in 2024-25. Memories of that success will live with Dier forever.
GettyTrophy curse lifted in Bundesliga title triumph
Like Kane, Dier headed to Germany having experienced a number of near misses on the trophy front. He formed part of Spurs squads that finished as runners-up in two League Cup finals and a Champions League showpiece in 2019 – when domestic rivals Liverpool dashed continental dreams in Madrid. He also finished third with England in the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League.
A few eyebrows were raised when Dier followed Kane to the Allianz Arena, but he made 28 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign. Said season finished with Bayern getting their hands on the Bundesliga title – much to the relief of Dier and Kane.
AdvertisementDier left Kane when swapping Munich for Monaco
Kane was the first person that Dier turned to when that coronation was confirmed and he has told of emotional celebrations: "It’s giving me goosebumps even now. It was literally a second after we won it. It was one of the best moments of my life."
Dier was on the move again over the summer, as he swapped Munich for Monaco. He has previously spent time with Sporting in Lisbon and Tottenham in London. Stepping out of a professional comfort zone is nothing new for the combative centre-half. He said of his travels: "It would be impossible to sit down and map it all out perfectly, to decide when and where you want to go. For me, it’s like one of those pinball machines: the ball just drops and drops, you don’t know which way, all the way to the bottom. You never know what your journey is going to look like.
"I don’t really find moving difficult. The hardest thing is just the logistics, that’s a pain in the arse, the furniture, all that boring stuff. But for me, it’s always very enjoyable to come to a new country and to feel a new culture around football and life. To see how people work in different countries. All that stuff has always been just fun for me."
Getty ImagesWorld Cup dream: Dier targets England recall
Dier is now 31 years of age, but claims to feel better than ever. He added: "I really believe I’m in the best footballing shape I’ve ever been in. Physically, I feel fantastic. And with experience, you feel better and better as a player and I’ve improved massively over the last two or three years. I feel at my best as a player right now."
He went on to say of chasing a World Cup dream with England in 2026: "I definitely still have hope, I really want to be back in the England squad. And it’s for other people to judge, but I think in the last year at Bayern and now here I’ve been playing my best football, so it’s frustrating not to be in the squad when you feel that about yourself and you already have a lot of caps. It’s a huge motivation for me, but I also know it’s about Monaco playing well and the rest will be a result of that."
Bid for 50th England cap: Tuchel knows Dier well
Dier is one appearance short of reaching a half-century for England, having made his senior international bow back in 2015. He has not represented his country since 2022, but the Three Lions are not blessed with an abundance of in-form options at the heart of their defence.
That could bring Dier back into contention, especially as England are now working under a coach that knows all about his many qualities. Thomas Tuchel was the man that took Dier to Bayern Munich, with the German tactician clearly a fan of what he has to offer – with plenty of time having also been spent operating in a holding midfield role over the course of his career.
