“When you are at a club like FC Bayern, you have to win every week.” – Gareth Southgate on Harry Kane and Eric Dier
In the summer, Bayern Munich signed long-term target and England captain Harry Kane for a club-record fee of €95 million from Tottenham Hotspur. With considerable expectation on his shoulders, Kane has undoubtedly been a revelation during his first season in Bavaria, breaking numerous records in the process.
However, Der Rekordmeister’s Hinrunde saw the club plagued by injuries, leaving them with little choice but to search for reinforcement in the winter transfer window. Despite interest in Radu Drăgușin, who ironically signed for Tottenham, Bayern settled for Kane’s countryman, Eric Dier.
This saw the former Spurs and England duo reunite, while subsequently making them the third and fourth English players after Owen Hargreaves and Omar Richards to play for the record champions.
This has, therefore, seen the Bundesliga receive far greater coverage in England, especially since Kane’s arrival. With two of the nation’s star players plying their trade in Germany, it has also meant that England National Team manager Gareth Southgate has been spectating the Bundesliga.
Speaking to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany, Southgate spoke about Dier’s move to the Allianz Arena: “I didn’t speak with Eric. But it’s a great move for him. Bayern Munich is an incredible football club. Wonderful history. One of the biggest clubs in world football. So, for Eric, it’s a great opportunity. He’s a really good guy. He has been a big part of our journey as a team. We wish him really well with that.”
As for Kane, Southgate remarked: “He‘s enjoying his experience. We haven’t been to many of the games live. But we watch all of his matches. It’s good to see the level of the Bundesliga. Of course, you are under pressure. When you are at a club like FC Bayern, you have to win every week. So this is good for Harry.”
With EURO 2024 fast approaching, Southgate will be assessing his options ahead of selecting the set of players he takes to Germany. While Kane will undeniably be one of the first players in his squad, Dier will be hoping to break back into the England side with some positive performances for Bayern.
So far, Dier has been able to impress for the Rekordmeister, but ensuring he plays a consistent role for Thomas Tuchel’s side will be difficult. With Dayot Upamecano set to return from injury before the clash against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, Kim Min-jae will soon be back from Asian Cup duty, meaning that the Englishman will have to impress if he is to force himself into Tuchel’s side.
GGFN | Will Shopland
