Generally, when a youngster makes his debut in a top league, he is a bit defensive. Rather than trying to win the match for his team, his focus remains on trying to ensure that he doesn’t commit any such error which takes the match away from his team.

But, yesterday, people got to see something different. A 20-year old debutant centre-back for Tottenham Hotspur, Eric Dier, who is from England originally, but, has been brought up in Portugal and has learnt all his skills there, was not shy of taking a gamble as with a wonderful run from the backline, he reached the opposition box and then, provided a smooth finish to put the ball into the net to give the Spurs a winning start in the league.

It was an outrageous display of soccer skills by Dier. For a youngster playing his first match in the Premier League to show such courage, the Spurs fans or even the England fans for that matter would have seen a superstar there. Later on, talking to the press, Dier said that it’s the great coaching system back in Portugal which is responsible for him becoming such a fearless footballer.

Dier had shifted to Portugal along with his mother and father about 13 years back. He got admitted to the academy of Sporting Lisbon there and according to him; the coaches there encouraged him to play attacking game all the time.

In the words of Dier, “Over there in Portugal, they never get harsh on the kids for committing any sort of mistake.”

“They make you learn new skills every day and tell you to be as innovative on the pitch as possible. I must say the coaching system there is very, very impressive.”