England international and Bayern Munich defender Eric Dier opens up on his 18-month spell at Everton and reveals why he discovered such a “fantastic” club when he arrived on Merseyside.
The 30-year-old who went on to make his name in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur also talks about how he found the transition to life in England and explains why he opted to return to Sporting CP at the conclusion of his loan deal.
“It was just a loan deal, ultimately,” he explains, “and at the end of it, Everton did want to sign me.
“I spoke to David Moyes a few times near the end and the Club were keen on that, but I felt like the right thing for me to do was to go back to Sporting.
“Having started there as a youngster, my motivation was always to play for them. They were my club at the time and I had ambitions to play for the first team.
“Everton put me in a position where I could do that and I am incredibly grateful to them, which is why I am happy to do an interview like this one to talk about them. Everton will always hold a special place in my heart for what they did for me.
“But at the time, Sporting just felt like the right place for me to be. I left and went back under very amicable circumstances, the manager was great with me through it all.”