Though Eric Dier’s time in the English capital will always hold a special place in his heart, a significant portion of his growth was experienced while playing for Everton.
Sporting Lisbon decided to send the adaptable defender back to his home country of birth in order to strengthen his physique after he had difficulty adjusting to U19 football, and he joined the Toffees.
The 30-year-old played there with players like Ross Barkley, John Lundstram, and Jack Rodwell, and in 2011 he won the U18 Premier League.
But after settling in with the first team, he found himself admiring a player in his position, which made him doubt his ability to step up when necessary.
It was Sylvain Distin, that man.
Which Everton player left Eric Dier shocked?
A towering French central defender with pace and power in abundance, the 46-year-old would have been coming to the end of his career around the time of Dier’s emergence at Everton.
However, that had not stopped the former Paris Saint-Germain man from maintaining his immense physique, with which he forged a fine career at Goodison Park.
The current Bayern Munich player reminisced, saying on the team’s official website: “One thing I always remember from my time there is Sylvain Distin, wow!” I recall thinking, given his condition, that “Maybe I’ll never be able to play in the Premier League.”
‘He was maybe like 37 or 38, but in just incredible shape – he looked after himself so well.’
Sylvain Distin is a criminally underrated Premier League defender
Having moved to Merseyside from Portsmouth, where he had become their club captain, the six years he would go on to spend at Goodison Park actually ended up being his longest stint at any club throughout his entire career.
As such, he is fondly remembered by Evertonians, with his partnership with Phil Jagielka an especially effective one considering it was the pairing that led the club to their fifth-placed finish in 2015.
Up till this time, that is still the club’s highest Premier League point total.
Distin was a Premier League mainstay who appeared for teams like Manchester City, Newcastle United, and AFC Bournemouth. He seemed to make an impression everywhere he went.
But the average fan, many of whom forget how good he was in his heyday and even in the last stages of his remarkable career, continues to criminally underrate him.
Distin continues to hold the record for most appearances made by a foreign outfield player in Premier League history. He is treated with far less respect than he merits.
