England PK Hero Eric Dier Had 'No Idea' He Was in Line for Spot Kick vs. Colombia
England's match-winning penalty kick taker Eric Dier claims he had 'no idea' he would be stepping up to take a spot kick against Colombia on Tuesday, until after extra time had finished.
The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder came on as a substitute for injured teammate Dele Alli in the 81st minute for England, and went on to take his side's fifth penalty in the shootout, sending England through to the quarter finals of the World Cup after goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had brilliantly kept out the previous Colombian effort.
Speaking after the match (via the Daily Mail), Dier said: "Obviously with substitutions the order can change.
"But after extra time he just told me that I was No. 5. Until then I had no idea. While I was waiting it was nerve-racking, but once I walked up I was quite calm."
Dier's ability to hold his nerve under such extreme pressure was made even more impressive by his lack of penalty-taking experience, especially when compared to the likes of fellow spot kick takers Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford. When asked how long it had been since he had taken a penalty in a match, Dier replied: "A penalty? In a match? I don't know."
England fans will be all too familiar with the Three Lions' abysmal track record in penalty shootouts, having failed to win a single one at a World Cup until Tuesday night.
Having grown up in Portugal and honed his footballing skills in Sporting CP's academy, Dier was painfully aware of England's last two penalty failures, both of which occurred against Portugal in 2004 and 2006.
"I grew up there so I was very aware of it," said Dier. "I'm really happy we've changed that."
England will face Sweden on Saturday, with the winner going on to play either Russia or Croatia in the semi finals of the competition.
