Eric Dier says his household now not attend away video games: ‘The abuse of footballers is a significant issue’

Eric Dier says the abuse suffered by footballers has received so extreme that the Tottenham Hotspur defender’s household now not journey to away video games to look at him play.

Dier added that he doesn’t remorse leaping into the stands on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March 2020 to confront a fan who was abusing his brother after Tottenham’s FA Cup defeat to Norwich City.

The centre-back, who’s again in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Nations League matches in opposition to Italy and Germany, believes the abuse directed at gamers has turn into a lot worse and is a large downside for the game.

“It has positively received worse,” Dier stated at a press convention. “For me, it’s a significant issue. I had some household and buddies on the Chelsea away sport with Tottenham (in August) and so they had issues and stuff. Not good ones both. It’s a enormous, enormous downside.

“My household would by no means go to an away sport these days due to it and that’s a disgrace that I really feel too uncomfortable for them to go to away video games.

“This has been (happening) for years. My mum has not been to an away sport. She would like to, however I’d be fearful about it and that’s loopy, isn’t it? All of our (gamers’) households undergo it. Each participant’s mother and father have been watching them since they had been youngsters and have gone by way of that type of stuff.

“However I’m not dramatic about it — and I don’t suppose anyone must be. It’s really not that large a deal for me.”

Regardless of a four-game ban and £40,000 advantageous from the FA for the incident involving his brother, Dier stated he would do the identical if it occurred once more.

“I’ve by no means spoken about that scenario within the press earlier than as a result of, to be trustworthy, I wasn’t in any respect pleased with the way in which it was dealt with. I don’t know what I can say about it as a result of I don’t know if I’ll get banned or fined once more or no matter,” Dier stated.

“It wasn’t too dramatic like folks make it out to be. However, yeah, I don’t remorse it in any respect and I’d do it once more. (For) my household, my team-mates, anybody, a good friend of mine. I think about myself to be extraordinarily loyal.”

The 28-year-old made it clear, although, that the abuse usually comes from followers from each units of groups.

“It was verbal, not bodily, however like, dangerous stuff. One incident was within the Tottenham away finish — I’m saying it’s soccer followers generally,” he added. “I needed to stress it was each units of followers — I’m not saying it’s Chelsea followers or Tottenham followers, it’s soccer followers generally.”

Southgate’s England workforce play Italy on Friday in Milan earlier than internet hosting Germany at Wembley on Monday evening.

(Photograph: Gualter Fatia/Getty Pictures)