Eric Dier insists England recall is 'starting point' for his resurgence

Tottenham defender Eric Dier has vowed to push for a starting spot under England manager Gareth Southgate after earning his first recall to the squad since March 2021.

The versatile defender has not played for his country since late 2020, after which a downturn in form at club level saw Dier lose his spot for the Three Lions.

However, Antonio Conte has made Dier a key part of his Tottenham setup and has long vowed that the 28-year-old is good enough to return for England, and he was proven right as Southgate selected Dier for his upcoming squad.

"I am just looking forward to going and I think as my manager said during the week, for me it is my ambition for this just to be a starting point for me," Dier said in response to his call-up. "I think I can still do a lot more

"Honestly [a recall] wasn't what I was thinking about. I was just thinking about being as good a player as I can be for Tottenham and everything else that happens is a consequence of that.

"I think that's the only thing I had to focus on and the only thing that was in my control. Everything else that happens, happens.

"For me, I am just very thankful for the way that my team-mates, coaching staff and everyone at Tottenham has supported me, pushed me and tried to help me get back to the national team."

Dier has 45 England caps to his name since making his debut under Roy Hodgson in November 2015. He was a core part of the squad at Euro 2016 and a rotation player in the 2018 World Cup, but he has not played at a major tournament since then.