England vs Scotland: Eric Dier and Harry Kane hail new manager Gareth Southgate

Tottenham pair recount happy memories of playing for Southgate at Under-21 level ahead of Scotland and Spain matches for the senior side this week

Southgate with Kane during an Under-21 friendly in 2014 (Getty)

Eric Dier and Harry Kane are both delighted to be reunited with Gareth Southgate this week, three years after first playing for him with England Under-21s. The Tottenham pair have been playing together for England international teams for years, since long before Dier came to Spurs, but this week they will be coached again by the man who developed them at under-21 level. Dier hailed Southgate on Sunday for his personal touch, saying that he has “a fantastic understanding of a player’s mind”.

Kane is just six months older than Dier and the pair have played for the same England teams throughout their careers. They both went to the European Under-19 Championship in 2012 under Noel Blake, and then to the Under-20 World Cup in 2013. Later that year, Dier and Kane made their England Under-21 debuts together, in a 6-0 win over Scotland that was presided over by Roy Hodgson. When Southgate took the job, both Kane and Dier became important parts of his plans.

Since then Dier and Kane have flourished at Tottenham Hotspur under Mauricio Pochettino. But the pair retain fond memories of Southgate’s coaching, and they spoke warmly about him before heading off to St George’s Park for training this week.

Southgate was Under-21 manager when Dier controversially pulled out of a squad in November 2014, but Dier said that the intelligence and personal touch of the new England manager had always stood out to him.

“I have been with [Southgate] for a long, long time, I was with him in the under-21s long before [November 2014],” Dier said. “We have always had a good relationship and a good understanding. He was a player, so he understands people’s situations and can look at it from a player’s perspective, which is always good. I have always appreciated everything he has done for me. He has a fantastic understanding of a player’s mind.”

Dier was part of Southgate’s first England squad and played 90 minutes of the 0-0 draw with Slovenia in Ljubljana last month. He spoke warmly about that first international break of the Southgate era and hopes for a repetition of the same feeling against Scotland and Spain this month.

“I am looking up to meeting up with Gareth Southgate again,” Dier said. “I know him very well from the under-21s so I am looking forward to it. I think everybody enjoyed the trip last time so I am just looking forward to these two internationals and the rest is not for me to talk about or decide.”

Harry Kane was not part of the England squad for the Malta and Slovenia games last month as he recovered from an ankle injury that kept him out for seven weeks. He is back fit again now, though, having scored a penalty on his comeback at the Emirates on Saturday. He has his own positive memories of Southgate, having gone to the European Under-21 Championship with him in 2015 and said that he was looking forward to working with him again.

“It is hard to watch [while injured] but I know Gareth quite well from the under-21s and we get on well,” Kane said. “I am looking forward to being away with them and working with them and to trying to get a good result. He has been in touch with the club to see how the process is going. I haven't spoken to him personally. He is good guy and get on well with him.”

Kane, like Dier, developed rapidly during his time in the Under-21s, making his debut for them when Andre Villas-Boas was still in charge at White Hart Lane. He paid full credit to Southgate for his coaching in helping him improve.

“He was great with the under-21s,” Kane said. “I think when I started with him I wasn't even in the Tottenham team at the time. I got chances with the under-21s and did a lot of finishing in training with him and Steve Holland as well. We spent a lot of time together and as I broke into the Spurs team I played more and more for him and we had a good qualifying campaign. It will be good to see him again.”