Eric Dier is a “rare creature” who “mustn’t be chased into hiding” for expressing his political views on social media, according to a senior BBC journalist.
BBC World Service presenter Mani Djazmi reacted on Twitter after the Tottenham midfielder threw his weight behind a people’s vote on Brexit in a short and simple message via his personal Twitter account on Thursday morning.
Dier’s message yielded a stampede of replies, some positive and many of them very negative, prompting Djazmi to defender the Portugal-reared footballer.
Dier shouldn’t be criticised for putting out his opinion. Footballers with the confidence/defiance to say something are rare creatures. They mustn’t be chased into hiding. https://t.co/ohhWjqTJOV
— Mani Djazmi (@BBC_Mani) March 14, 2019
OPINION
As a 25-year-old who spent most of his childhood in Portugal after moving to Lisbon aged seven and is not even considered ‘home grown’ by Uefa, Dier’s views on Brexit and a potential second referendum following more dramatic events in the House of Commons on Wednesday night are worth knowing. The man who scored the decisive penalty in England’s World Cup victory over Colombia learned to play football in Portugal, was in the youth set-up at Sporting Lisbon before joining Tottenham as a 20-year-old and is a beneficiary of EU membership. His career could have been very different were it not for the UK political situation at the time. Moreover, Dier is a high-profile footballer of intelligence and a hinterland outside of the game. Well read and educated, why should he keep quiet about his political views? It is his right to share his opinion, and one that is of value given the context of his career.