Eric Dier scouting report: Who is Tottenham's new goalscoring hero who came up through the same academy as Cristiano Ronaldo?

• Dier made a £4million move to Tottenham from Sporting Lisbon this summer
• He has played in Portugal since having a trial at the club at the age of nine
• Dier spent time on loan at Everton - almost 18 months - earlier in his career
• He played for England Under-21s as recently as last year
• The strong centre back is fluent in Portuguese as well as English

By Adam Shergold

Published: 02:37 EST, 17 August 2014 | Updated: 05:30 EST, 17 August 2014

Eric Dier became an instant Tottenham hero when he scored their winning goal deep into stoppage time at West Ham on Saturday.

The new boy settled the spicy opening day derby when he sprinted forward from right-back to collect a pass from Harry Kane, round goalkeeper Adrian and roll the ball into the unguarded net.

But who is the man who stole the headlines in such dramatic circumstances at Upton Park?

VIDEO: Scroll down to watch Eric Dier in action during his Sporting Lisbon days 

Debut goal: Eric Dier slots home the winning goal on his Spurs debut 

Let's celebrate: Dier (15) is mobbed by Spurs team-mates including Harry Kane (18) 

What a start: Dier is the opening day hero as he celebrates with Danny Rose (left) and Christian Eriksen (right)

Name: Eric Dier

Age: 20

Position: Centre-back 

Where does he come from?

Eric Jeremy Edgar Dier, to give him his full name, was born in Cheltenham but his parents moved to Portugal aged 10 when his mother, who works in the mass catering industry, was offered a job at the 2004 European Championships.

Soon after arriving from England, Dier's footballing ability was noted by his PE teacher Miguel Silva and he was referred to scouts at Sporting Lisbon.

In an interview with Sportsmail last year, Dier explained: 'My PE teacher used to scout for Sporting and, when I was nine, he recommended me for a trial.

'From there, I just went up through the age groups and was always kept on while others were dropping out.

What a moment: Dier is congratulated by Kane as they head for the Spurs following with the ball in the net

'I suppose it was only when they offered me a contract at 14 and I enrolled in the academy school that I realised it might be quite serious.'

Dier soon found the Sporting academy a home-away-from-home and when his parents returned to the UK in 2010, he stayed out in Portugal.

In a BBC interview that year, a 16-year-old Dier said: 'I love the training, the Portuguese people, the Portuguese culture. Everything about this place I like.'

He duly signed professional form with Sporting in April 2010, with the Portuguese club seeing off interest from Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United, the team Dier supported as a boy.

Dominant: Spurs might not have been at their best at Upton Park but Dier made his presence felt

What happened next?

In January 2011, Dier joined Everton on a loan that was initially meant to last until the end of June. Sporting said at the time the loan was 'an opportunity for the athlete to grow in a more competitive and demanding environment.'

In the end, this short-term loan lasted some 18 months as he became a regular in Everton's youth and reserve sides.

The move came at just the right time, as Dier later admitted: 'I had become a bit spoiled or complacent at Sporting and I needed a kick up the backside, which is what Everton gave me.

'It was quite tough going to an unfamiliar place where I didn't know anyone at first.

'Coaches like Alan Stubbs were quite hard on me but that helped a lot. It was the best thing that could have happened. It really hardened me up physically and mentally. The football was much faster, physical and more direct than here.'

Portugeezer: Dier keeps the ball from Nemanja Matic - now of Chelsea - while on Sporting Lisbon duty

Return to Portugal

Sporting - the academy that produced the likes of Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani - were never going to let a talent like Dier stay away for too long and, with designs on fast-tracking him to their first team, he returned to Portugal in August 2012.

Dier was placed in the B team squad for that campaign, playing in the second-tier Segunda Liga. His debut came as a substitute for Diego Rubio in a 3-1 win at Atletico on August 26 and his first goal came against rivals Benfica a couple of months later.

It was certainly a moment he'll never forget, as he explained to Sportsmail: 'I was determined to take my chance when it came along. The Benfica match was an amazing experience - flares were going off everywhere and you can tell the fans don't like each other.

'It went by in a blur. One thing I've found in the first team is the intensity of concentration required is much greater and that was very tiring at first, but I'm getting used to it.'

Sorting things out: Dier established himself as a central midfielder when he first broke through in Lisbon

Promotion to the first team

A week later and Dier was handed his first team debut in a home win over Braga and a further fortnight after that, he scored his first and only senior goal for the club against Moreirense.

He went on to establish himself in the side, regularly playing as a central midfielder, before a fractured rib curtailed his first season in the first team.

Dier was in and out of the team the following season, usually slotting in at centre-back or in a defensive midfield role.

In all, he played 32 senior games for Sporting, scoring once.

Happy: Dier spoke of his delight at moving to Spurs after signing his five-year deal on August 2 this year

London calling

Dier signed a five-year contract with Tottenham on August 2 this year, with a £4m fee agreed.

Upon moving to north London, Dier said: 'I'm really excited to be joining such a big club.

'I'm really happy to be here. I want to impress the manager and keep the fans happy, I just want to do as well as we can with the club.

'Spurs are a massive club. I've always enjoyed their attacking football and I think coming from Portugal that suits me - this season I want to adapt really quickly to the Premier League and have as good a season as we can.'

His winning goal at Upton Park has certainly set them on their way to that.

Into the groove : Despite being born on these shores, the West Ham game was his first in the Premier League

What about international honours?

Dier, who speaks Portuguese as fluently as English, had been asked to consider playing for Portugal but FIFA rules prevented him doing this until he turned 18.

It allowed England to seize the opportunity when he signed for Everton back in 2011 and Dier made his debut for the Three Lions in an Under 18 match with Slovakia in November that year.

He quickly established himself as a regular at Under 19 level the following season and committed to the country of his birth.

International quality: Dier has been a regular in a number of England youth side and could now step up

Despite being a year younger than most of his squad mates, he played a full part as England reached the semi-finals of the 2012 European Championships in Lithuania.

That performance ensured a place at the 2013 Under 20 World Cup and Dier was duly named in Peter Taylor's World Cup squad.

He made his first appearance for the Under 21 team on August 13, 2013 in a 6-0 thrashing of Scotland at Bramall Lane in Sheffield.

What are his strengths?

The first thing you notice is that Dier is far more than a standard centre-half. While this is his preferred position, he can also operate at right-back and in defensive midfield.

This versatility is matched by good aerial ability (Dier is 6ft 2in), reading of the play, strength and tackling.

Impressing in training: Dier nicks the ball away from Nathan Redmond while on international duty

He must have some sporting pedigree?

Yes he does. Dier is the great nephew of Peter Croker, who played in the 1947 FA Cup final for Charlton Athletic. His granddad is Ted Croker, a former secretary of the Football Association between 1973 and 1989 and also an ex-president of Cheltenham Town. His father Jeremy is a former professional tennis player who appeared at Wimbledon in the 1980s.

How far can he go?

Dier has made the perfect start to his Spurs career and can look forward to more appearances in the season to come. With Spurs chasing trophies on a number of fronts, depth in their squad is essential and the 20-year-old has already shown he can cut it in the Premier League.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino proved at Southampton that he is willing to put faith in youth and Dier will be at the centre of his plans.

He will continue to play for England's Under 21s in their European Championship campaign and, if his good form can be sustained, may well get a call-up into Roy Hodgson's senior squad.

Scenes: The young centre back wheels away to celebrate his goal at Upton Park that won the game

ARCHIVE: Sporting Lisbon's Eric Dier in action

Comments (27)

Share what you think

• Newest
• Oldest
• Best rated
• Worst rated

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now