Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier has suggested that teammate Dele Alli expected to be targeted during the side's 4-0 win over Stoke City.
Three days earlier, Alli was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Gent's Brecht Dejaegere after initially being knocked off the ball by the player, and Stoke appeared to try to frustrate the England international at White Hart Lane on Sunday afternoon.
However, Dier has indicated that he was not surprised that Stoke decided on that approach, and backed Alli to handle it from other teams in the future.
The 23-year-old is quoted by Sky Sports News as saying: "He has to expect that from players like Stoke have, experienced players who have been around the block, he needs to expect players will irritate him, try to get in his head.
"But he knows that and he handles it very well. It's only normal he will get better at it over time.
"He is very young and that [tackle against Gent] won't be the last mistake he makes. He will make more mistakes and the most important thing is he learns from them and reacts in the right way, and he does."
UEFA has yet to decide on the length of Alli's ban for his red card in the Europa League.
Darren Plant
