Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier has admitted that he needs to be more sensible in how he plays if he is launch a challenge to get into Roy Hodgson's England squad.
The versatile 21-year-old has become an integral part of the Spurs side in midfield since being converted from a centre-back by Mauricio Pochettino, featuring in 12 matches in all competitions so far this season.
However, the England Under-21 international acknowledges that there are still weaknesses in his game which he needs to address, highlighting his poor discipline as a key area to improve after he missed last weekend's draw with Liverpool as a result of yellow card accumulation.
"I maybe need to be a bit more sensible," he told The Mirror. "There are times when I have probably been a bit too aggressive.
"I will always take a yellow card if it helps the team and that has happened once or twice, but there have been times when I should have used my head more and maybe I need to stay on my feet a bit more, be a bit more measured and a bit more passive.
"I think that I got about five yellow cards in my whole career as a defender. Then I move to midfield and I get five in a couple of months. In midfield there is even less time to think and sometimes the decision to tackle is made on the spur of the moment. If you are just half a second too late, it can be a booking."
Dier is expected to return to the Spurs side for the trip to Bournemouth on Sunday.
Tom Nightingale
