PROFILE | Injuries derail Eric Dier after strong start to life at Monaco | OneFootball

That Bayern Munich were so keen to retain Eric Dier is a testament to the Englishman’s continued worth. But the Bundesliga champions didn’t retain him. They saw Dier slip through their fingers, as he embraced a new experience in France. 

Whilst he has been out of the picture for the England national team for some time (his last cap came in 2022), his expressed desire to return to the national set-up is evidence that he didn’t join Monaco to wind down his career. “It is always an objective. I am on 49 cap; it would be nice to have 50,” he joked during his presentation back in July.

Dier is preparing his post-career, taking sessions with the club’s youth sides. He is also a vocal and important player in the dressing room, but he is impactful on the pitch, too. His calmness and ability to organise the defence were valuable in the opening games of the season, as he struck up a strong partnership with Christian Mawissa; he even wore the armband for his new club during the opening weeks of the campaign.

However, that good start gave way to a mixed few weeks for the former Tottenham defender, who also wasn’t helped by the Principality club’s dip in form and an injury crisis, which meant inconsistencies in selection and changes in defensive partners. 

Dier has not featured since October

Then came the injuries. Dier suffered a hamstring injury at the start of October, which frustratingly ruled him out of a reunion with former club Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League. He was then on the verge of a return when he was struck down by a calf injury. It means that the defender’s last appearance for Les Monégasques dates back to the start of October. 

There is no doubt that Monaco benefit from his availability and in his brief spell in the side, he showed that he still has a lot to offer. Having expressed a desire to get back into the England team, managed by Thomas Tuchel, whom he knows from his time at Bayern, there will be no shortage of motivation for him to rediscover his place in this Monaco side. And with new manager Sébastien Pocognoli often playing a back three, there will certainly be space for him.

So far, there have only been glimpses of what Dier can offer Monaco; he will hope to show more and over a prolonged period of time in 2026.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle