Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier has cautioned England against complacency when they take on Panama this Sunday, insisting the Central Americans deserve ‘ultimate respect’. Spirits in the Three Lions camp are high after they kicked off their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Tunisia in Volgograd and attentions now turn to Los Canaleros.
The CONCACAF qualifiers are making their first appearance at the tournament and began with a 3-0 defeat in their Group G opener against Belgium.England are heavy favourites to despatch them in similar fashion but Dier, who was a late substitute on Monday night, insists nothing can be taken for granted come kick-off.
‘In football you really can’t get carried away and look too far ahead because that’s when things go wrong. Every game is different but the most important thing, no matter who you’re playing, is to have the ultimate respect for them. Our attitude has to be perfect for every game. There won’t be any easy games here, that doesn’t exist any more at the World Cup, it’s a myth. You can make a game easy or you can make a game extremely hard – and the opposition can do the same to you,’ the 24-year old said.