Tottenham defender Eric Dier says more needs to be done to protect footballers when it comes to online and in-stadium abuse.
Dier was recently handed a four-match ban by the FA after he marched into the stands at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to confront a fan following Spurs' FA Cup defeat to Norwich in March.
The 26-year-old, who extended his contract in N17 until 2024 on Wednesday, was attempting to protect his younger brother but despite the circumstances, Dier was deemed to have displayed threatening behaviour and he's missed the Lilywhites' last four outings.
Speaking about the incident, Dier said as quoted by the Mirror: “It’s a massive problem in society in general because of social media not just football stadiums, sports stadiums. It’s a problem that needs to be looked at much more seriously. There need to be more repercussions.
“It is being addressed but it needs to be addressed even more. I have no problem with anyone criticising my footballing ability at any time but when it’s anything more than that then there’s a big problem,” he added.
Dier has emerged as a personal favourite of Jose Mourinho since the 'Special One's' arrival last November. He was granted plenty of opportunities during Mourinho's honeymoon period and had started four matches on the spin at centre back following the Premier League's resumption last month.
His minor resurgence at the heart of the Spurs defence was enough for the England international to garner a new deal, on which he said: “When I signed my new contract, people asked me, ‘But do you really think you can win trophies?’
“My answer is you don’t know if you’re going to win them or not. But one thing I do know is the manager is going into every competition trying to win them. That’s all you can ask.”
Dier will once again be available for his manager as Spurs attempt to wrap up Europa League qualification when they travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Source : 90min