ERIC DIER has banned his mum from going to games because he fears abuse is getting worse.
The defender, included in the England squad for the Nations League games against Italy and Germany, revealed friends and other family members were abused during Tottenham’s 2-2 draw at Chelsea last month.
Dier, 28, was banned for four matches and fined £40,000 for jumping into the crowd to confront a fan who abused his brother in March 2020.
Quizzed about fan behaviour, Dier said: “It’s definitely got worse. It is a huge, huge problem. There are some things I find very strange. It is not nice.
“My mum has not been to an away game. She would love to but I would be worried about it — and that’s crazy, isn’t it? All of our families go through it.
“Every player’s parents have been watching them since they were kids and have gone through that kind of stuff.”
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Although mum Louise was not at Stamford Bridge on August 14, other members of Dier’s family were.
He added: “I had some family and friends at the Chelsea away game and they had problems and stuff. Not nice ones either. It was verbal not physical but, like, bad stuff.
“One incident was in the Tottenham away end. I am saying it is football fans in general — but I also want to emphasise that it was both sets of fans.”
Dier, who hopes to win his 46th cap against Italy in Milan on Friday, is clearly annoyed over his FA ban in 2020.
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He claimed he had left the pitch and clambered over rows of seats in an attempt to protect his brother Patrick, who was involved in an argument.
Dier said: “I don’t know what I can say about it because I don’t know if I’ll get banned or fined again or whatever.
“But I don’t regret it at all and I’d do it again. For my family, team-mates, anyone, a friend of mine. I consider myself to be extremely loyal.”
Meanwhile, Dier is desperate to finally get on the St George’s Park wall of fame.
The Tottenham defender has been rewarded after his strong performances at the back for Antonio Conte by being included in Gareth Southgate’s latest squad.
Dier last played in a 4-0 win over Iceland in November 2020. He was called up by Southgate for three matches in March 2021 but was not picked.
And now he is hoping to feature on the wall in the Hilton Hotel at SGP, which started in April 2019 and includes every England representative from the men’s seniors to the futsal team who have earned 50 and 100 caps.
Asked what it would mean to reach the half-century, Dier said: “Yes, it would mean a lot. It’s something that when I wasn’t in the squad it was playing on my mind that I was so close to it. That did annoy me.
“I would love to be able to get to that kind of milestone. I’ve seen they’ve got a board up now in the reception of the hotel, of all the people who have made 50 and 100. It’s a dream to be able to reach that.
“I know I don’t seem happy but I’m very happy to be back. I’m very proud of making it back, I just don’t like dramatising it too much.
“I’ve reached my best level in my career, not just this season but last season as well. I think I’m getting better — and I think I can get better.”
Dier, one of the stars of England’s World Cup campaign in Russia in 2018, struggled under Jose Mourinho in the 2020-21 season and was heartbroken to miss out on Euro 2020 last summer.
Yet he is in his element under Conte, who has helped Spurs to be much stronger at the back.
Dier said: “It was my most difficult season when I did miss out on the Euros. I think there were many reasons for the light to be shone the way it was.
“It was not as bad as some people like to make out in terms of my performances. It was good for me, in some ways. I learned a lot from it.
“I don’t want to sound like a teacher’s pet but he (Conte) has done a lot for me. I have learnt so much, different things tactically. He is the godfather of that system.
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“He gave me my belief back a little bit as well.”
On England’s fixtures, he added: “They couldn’t be better, to play Italy away, Germany at home. I’m just very excited. These are the games I want to play.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
