Eric Dier to start for England against Belgium in World Cup on Thursday
Thursday 28 June 2018 18:06, UK
Eric Dier will make his first start of the 2018 World Cup in England's game against Belgium on Thursday.
The Tottenham player was named as a substitute in both of England's matches and made his only appearance as a late replacement in their 2-1 win over Tunisia in their opening game.
Despite not choosing to start Dier in either of England's games so far, Gareth Southgate paid tribute to the influence he has had on their World Cup campaign.
"He is always a big part of our plans," Southgate said. "He is a really intelligent player, tactically very aware and he is a crucial part of our squad and has been all the way through our journey.
"His mentality has been about playing his way into the tournament, recognising he will have a part to play. There is a real maturity about him and I enjoy our discussions about the matches we play.
"He has great insight into the difficulties we might face, so even though he hasn't been in the starting team he has had invaluable contributions in meetings and training sessions and tomorrow he is back in the team."
Both England and Belgium have already qualified from Group G, and know that whoever wins their match in Kaliningrad will finish top.
It has been suggested that England would be better off finishing second in an attempt to secure a simpler passage through the knockout rounds, and the selection of Dier points to Southgate making changes.
