Eric Dier: "It's always important to keep a clean sheet for confidence"

Just like last season, he is Monaco's first goalscorer in the Ligue 1 McDonald's for this 2026-2027 campaign. Decisive with a header from a corner to give AS Monaco a 1-0 win against Le Havre on the opening day of the league season, Eric Dier was quite pleased with the team's performance. Here is what he had to say to journalists in the mixed zone. Excerpts 🎙️

Good evening, Eric. How are you feeling after playing these back-to-back games?

Really good! We've had a strong pre-season and I think everyone is in good physical shape, especially since we played quite a few friendlies, so it's very positive. Honestly, it's a good thing to back it up after our game against Górnik Zabrze on Thursday. We have to be ready for this, because that's the rhythm of modern football. But like I said, I felt really good today.

Was it important to come away with a clean sheet as a defender?

It feels good for everyone, not just for us defenders, to not concede. It's always important to keep a clean sheet for confidence, especially as the team defended really well in the second half. We were very good in the first 30 minutes before our tempo dropped after opening the scoring. But the positive thing is that we really knew how to suffer together and defend well right to the end.

Tell us about your partnership with Sadibou Sané...

I don't really like talking about my relationship with one specific player, because defending is the whole team's job; it's a collective effort. With Filipe Luís, we're doing a really good job on that front, and I have to say Sadibou is doing some great things. I played against him last season when we faced Metz towards the end of the campaign, and he put in a very good performance. He's a great guy, very positive, and completely focused on his daily work.

How was the off-season for you?

Honestly, I had no doubts, even though last season was really difficult for me with a lot of injuries. As I've said before, it was the first time in my career I'd been in that situation, so it was new for me. But I always want to take the positives; it's part of football and I was luckier than Takumi (Minamino) or Mohammed (Salisu), who suffered serious injuries and were sidelined for a long time. I just wanted to learn from that period and focus on pre-season to get back to competing, which is the most important thing.

Do you remember that your last Ligue 1 goal was also against Le Havre last year?

(Smiles) Yes, I remember it. It's funny, a few people mentioned it to me after the match! It's a great feeling to score, even more so as a defender, especially when it helps the team win. When you play the way we did in the first 30 minutes, dominating so much and creating so many chances, sometimes the breakthrough comes from a set piece because opponents can be less attentive. It's important to seize those opportunities!

Do you think there was actually a foul on your part on Mika Biereth's second goal?

I've just watched the replay a few times, and honestly, I don't know what happened. I had no intention of blocking my direct opponent; I actually think he ran into me, so I don't know why the goal was disallowed. The situation was a bit confusing, but in the end, it doesn't change the result.