Tottenham Hotspur star Eric Dier has opened up on one surprising aspect of manager Mauricio Pochettino’s transfer policy, saying he only wants ‘nice guys’ in the dressing room.
The Argentine has introduced a dramatic shift in transfer business at Spurs, generally bringing in young players who are willing to work hard for the team.
His intense, high-pressing style of football requires a certain breed of player, and there are strict on-pitch criteria in place over who the club want to bring in.
However, in an interview with The Times, Dier has now revealed that there are also surprisingly stringent off-pitch policies involved in Pochettino’s thinking.
“The manager is only interested in signing players who not only can perform on the pitch but fit the criteria off it. [Which is] being nice guys. But he doesn’t want you always to be a nice guy!”
Dier revealed he is currently reading a book about the All Blacks, who have a famous ‘no d***head’ selection policy.
“That’s what it is at Spurs too. It’s important we’re not nice on the pitch all the time but off it there’s a lot of very good people, humble people, hard-working people.
“There’s quite a few Belgians, French and Spanish but they don’t stick to themselves. There are no cliques here. One of the beautiful things about Spurs is that everyone really mixes and mashes together.”
OPINION
Much of the focus on Pochettino’s brilliant project at Spurs is on the way that his team play on the pitch, with his all-action, pressing football taking precedence over anything else. However, what is not so widely known is the way that the Argentine and his coaching staff cultivate very close relationships with players and between players. That dressing room harmony counts for a lot on the pitch for Spurs too, and is a massive, and surprising, ingredient in their recent revival.