Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder David Howells believes that Spurs midfielder Eric Dier brings calmness and composure to Gareth Southgate's England outfit.
Dier, who played the entirety of England's 3-2 win over Spain at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on Monday night, was one of the more experienced campaigners in a relatively young England team.
The Spurs midfielder was robust in his approach and shielded the back four to good effect as the Three Lions held on to secure all three points.
The 24-year-old stood out for his tenacious and clean challenge that knocked over Sergio Ramos early on in the first half and the challenge much set the tone for a dominant first half display from the visitors.
Howells, who won the FA Cup with Spurs in 1991, thinks that Dier brings a sense of calm and level-headedness to the young side under Southgate.
"I thought Eric’s all-round play was excellent”, Howells told Tottenham's official website.
“He brings an all-round calmness to the team, he’s very smart in the way he picks up his positions when the opponents have the ball and he’s such a great physical asset as well, so strong in defensive set-piece situations.
“He was excellent", Howells added, before stressing the trust Southgate has in Dier.
"You can see Gareth Southgate trusts him.
"This is a young England squad but he’s one of the senior players within that group.
“You can understand that.
"He’s seems such a level-headed, decent man as well and the more of those people you can have around the group, the better."
