Ex-England boss Sam Allardyce has suggested that both Sergio Busquets and Eric Dier are at a similar level, after watching England's victory away to Spain in UEFA Nations League on Monday night.
The England and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has come under fire in recent weeks for his performances, especially after a disappointing game against Croatia last Friday. However, after a much-improved display on Monday night, Dier's display caught the eye of Allardyce who claimed that the criticism of the midfielder has been largely unjustified.
Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast Show on talkSport, Allardyce surprisingly compared the England star to World Cup winner Busquets.
Sam Allardyce: 'Sergio Busquets is no better or worse than Eric Dier'. pic.twitter.com/aPLDoS26l3
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"He's (Busquets) no better or worse than Eric Dier for me," Allardyce said.
"Busquets is a sitting midfield player that breaks it up and passes it very simply and is very intelligent. That's what he is. He's not much more than that but he gets a huge amount of praise for it, whereas Eric Dier does a similar job and gets a lot of criticism."
Whilst Allardyce acknowledged the Barcelona midfielder's success and effectiveness over the years, he also attempted to suggest there are inconsistencies in the way both players were viewed by the public.
He said: "Busquets plays such a simple game and because he plays a simple game, he's great for the team. But we laud him as a genius, whereas our own we don't. We criticise them.
"Eric Dier was far better than Busquets last night."
England's 2-3 victory in Spain was their first away victory against La Roja since 1987 and leaves them in the hunt for topping their UEFA Nations League group.
Source: 90min
