Eric Dier opens up over illness in nightmare period for Tottenham midfielder

The midfielder reported feeling unwell ahead of a match against Burnley in mid-December last year, and was overwhelmed with crippling abdominal pain. Dier and the Spurs medical team had both explained it away as a stomach bug going around the club at the time, when in reality the England international's appendix was perforated and infected and he was in need of emergency surgery.

“It was quite serious,” Dier told The Guardian. “At the time, there were a few players at the club with a stomach ache, so we just presumed it was that, which is no fault of the medical staff at all. They treated me fantastically. I was at home and I had to be rushed to hospital and I had the procedure straight away. I was very fortunate like that but it was just very difficult afterwards. I kept on getting ill.

“My immune system just really struggled with the medicine after the appendix and I kept on getting ill. People said I was injured but I was never injured. I just kept on falling ill because of it [the appendix], which was very frustrating.

“What I went through wasn’t a normal thing for anyone. It was a very strange experience but something that hopefully I will be better for. So it is what it is. It’s gone. I’m just looking forward now.”

Dier was unavailable for five weeks following the operation but upon his return he still didn't feel right. Trapped in a negative spiral, his body was fun down and he failed to recover from knocks and training. After further spells on the sidelines, he was forced to have further surgery in the summer.

“What I went through wasn’t a normal thing for anyone,” Dier says. “It was a very strange experience but something that hopefully I will be better for. So it is what it is. It’s gone. I’m just looking forward now.”

“I’ve felt for a while that I’m on my way back. It’s just been unfortunate circumstances – my appendix and then coming back pre-season and having to have another procedure. But since then I feel very good.”

Dier started as a centre-half in Tottenham's 4-0 Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday.