Eric Dier may be best remembered for his time in the English capital, but it cannot be forgotten that an important chunk of his development was enjoyed with Everton.
Seeking to boost his physicality after struggling to make the step up to U19s football, Sporting Lisbon saw fit to return the versatile defender to the country in which he was born, and landed on the Toffees.
There, the 30-year-old featured alongside the likes of Ross Barkley, John Lundstram and Jack Rodwell, actually winning the U18s Premier League in 2011.
However, upon integrating with the first team, he marvelled at one player in his position which left him questioning his capabilities to make the step up needed.
That man was Sylvain Distin.
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.
Speaking to the club’s official site, the current Bayern Munich man recalled: ‘One thing I always remember from my time there is Sylvain Distin, wow! The shape he was in, I remember thinking, ‘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.
That remains the club’s best-ever Premier League points tally to this date.
Having also featured for sides such as Manchester City, Newcastle United and AFC Bournemouth, Distin was a Premier League stalwart who seemingly impressed wherever he went.
However, he remains criminally underrated by the everyday fan, many of whom forget just how impressive he was during his prime, and even during the twilight of his impressive career.
To this day, Distin remains the foreign outfield player with the most appearances in Premier League history. He deserves far more respect than he gets.
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