Eric Dier, one of the few thirty-year-old players in AS Monaco, recently gave an interview to Monaco Morning and L’Equipe during the team’s training course in England. Recruited during the summer mercato, it was particularly operational, despite a recent illness that prevented him from participating in the first friendly match against the Cercle Bruges. He was then present in the second half of the next match against Coventry City. Arriving freshly from Bayern Munich, Dier still bears the traces of his Bavarian passage, including a convalescent wrist, but also his first champion title. He approaches the new season with a clear ambition, while acknowledging some persistent doubts about its speed, especially in comparison with Thilo Kherer.

Dier stressed the importance of anticipation and a good placement to avoid individual mistakes that sometimes affected the previous season. He explains that his experience in Bayern, where he often worked against defensive teams, prompted him to develop solutions to recover the ball quickly. He stressed the need to react quickly and to know how to bounce back after having made a mistake, considering this as an essential quality to stand out in a career. He is aware that he will make mistakes, but he can help overcome them and learn from them.

The player, who attaches great importance to language learning, is committed to communicating in French during his next discussions with the press, hoping to become an example for his teammates. He shared the club’s ambition to advance in all competitions, especially in central defence. Dier evokes his admiration for defenders such as Nemanja Vidic, Gerard Piqué and Rafael Marquez, as well as the influence of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld in Tottenham, and Vincent Kompany in Bayern Munich, who helped him perfect his game in terms of positioning, solutions with the ball and movements.