Thursday 15 December 2016 08:01, UK
Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed suggestions Eric Dier could leave Tottenham in the new year just four months after signing a new deal at Tottenham.
The England international has been in and out of Pochettino's team recently but started their 3-0 win over Hull and played a part in Christian Eriksen's crucial second goal.
There has been speculation Dier could move on despite only agreeing a new deal with the club in September but Pochettino said: "Absolutely not. Eric Dier is our player.
"He extended his contract and improved his salary after the Euros. There is no doubt that his future is here at Tottenham."
While Dier looks set to play an integral part at White Hart Lane in the months ahead, Pochettino was pleased with the contribution of other players too in a routine success against Hull.
Eriksen took his club goals tally for the season to seven with a double, thanks to assists from full-backs Danny Rose and Kyle Walker in an adventurous 3-4-2-1 formation.
Pochettino added: "I'm very pleased for his performance today. He was very aggressive in possession. That is the aggressiveness that we want for our player and I'm very pleased for him.
"He is working very hard to improve and I know it is important for our strikers to score goals but also for our midfield to score as well. It is good for us and the team that they start to score too.
"The first two goals arrived from very good play from our wing-backs, first Danny Rose and then Kyle Walker.
"I think this season we are working hard to develop a different formation and different systems to use. Today we believe it was the better way to play and I'm very happy that it is working well.
"We try to play football and sometimes it is difficult because your opponents push you and it is hard to play in the way you normally want to play.
"Sometimes it is important to provide different solutions. We played with three centre-backs and used our full-backs like wing-backs. I think that was working well."
Tottenham remain fifth in the table after the teams either side of them in the Premier League table - Liverpool and Manchester United - both won.
Form that perspective, Pochettino was pleased to win once again after a single-goal loss at Old Trafford on Sunday.
He said: "It was very important because for us, it is key to be close to the top four, always.
"There is a long way to the end of the season but I think what's important is we played some good football and we are very happy for the result.
"This is a very tough period now. Sunday [against Burnley] will be another very important game for us where we will try to get the three points and be close to the top four.
"In this moment we need to keep our faith and reduce the gap, if not keep the same position."
