Eric Dier has climbed the ladder to the top of the elite game. The World Cup being a pinnacle moment, it’s a life checkpoint to savour. As he packs for the on pitch party we caught up with him to discuss those essentials he takes on his travels.
Eric, how do you pack for six weeks away?
I’m a terrible packer, I wouldn’t know where to start really. I’ll definitely overpack. I tend to do that. I’ll make sure I remember the essentials like toothbrush and toothpaste! Luckily we’re spoilt so we’ve got kit men looking after our boots and shinpads so we don’t have to worry about them, then I guess everything else I can sort out when I get there.
There’s a lot of downtime on international duty. How would you like to spend that time?
It depends where we are really. They normally sort us out with a pretty cool games room so I’ll spend a bit of time in there relaxing with some of the boys. Hopefully, we can hang out together a fair bit like we do when we’re here at St. George's Park. I like to read a book every now and then. I just finished one called Shantaram, which I’d highly recommend. I’m just about to start another one called Shoe Dog which is about the creator of Nike actually.
How many boots will you take with you to Russia?
I’ll be taking Nike’s new "Just Do It" pack. I really like them. I think it’s one of the best colourways we’ve had in a while and I’m really happy with the boot. I don’t know how many pairs I’ll take away. Five pairs probably. I’m quite picky with my boots so that sounds like a good number.
Have you added any custom elements to them?
As Nike will tell you, I’m quite difficult with my boots! My feet are weird I think. I get an inner-line padding around the inside of the front of the boot because I’ve got quite a thin foot so I like to feel some cushioning above it. Then, on the outside, I’ve just got my name and we’ve got the nice detail on the back of these ones with the flag.
You’ve been wearing the "Just Do It" pack. How do you like to break in a fresh pair of boots?
I quite like to wear a new pair of boots straight from the start. I think it’s like an old-school myth nowadays that you have to wear them in. I remember when I was little, my dad would always say you’ve got to wear in your boots so you don’t get blisters, but I think Nike boots are so good nowadays that you can just wear them straight away in a game.
It’s a huge moment for all the people who saw you develop as a young player. Have you already started to receive messages of support from your friends and family?
When I was selected in the squad I got quite a few messages from friends and family congratulating me. Apart from that, it’s been quite chilled. We don’t make too much of a big deal of it, just enjoy it. I’m really happy to be in the squad and now I’m just looking forward to being at the World Cup. For everyone who’s helped me, it’s been a long journey, especially for my family. The manager and the coaching staff at Tottenham have been great. They’ve helped me a lot to break into the national team and now, going to the World Cup, it's fantastic.
What about off-pitch attire? How many trainers do you have? What do you like to wear?
I really like the Nike Epic Reacts at the moment. They're really comfortable and you can just slide into them. They fit really nicely so I like to wear them when I’m in my tracksuit at Tottenham and now with England. I’ve got quite a few pairs because they’ve got quite a few colourways as well. I love the Air Jordan ones. Especially the Off-White x Jordans; I’ve got the red and white pair. I’d love to get the blue and white ones because I think they’d go quite nicely with this outfit. I like quite a few. The Jordan ones, with or without the Off-white collaboration, I think are my favourite.
Are you a fan of the basketball look?
In America, they say basketball players want to be rappers and the rappers want to be basketball players. I think it's changed up quite a bit since Allen Iverson came in. On-court, they’re all quite similar but it’s different isn’t it because, in the NBA and the NFL, they come in their own clothes so it becomes quite personal and almost like an event in itself. In football, everyone is just dressed the same in their tracksuits so there’s less attention about it.
Prepare for the big time, shop the Nike "Just Do It" Pack here.
Photography by Martyn Ewoma for SoccerBible.
