You snooze, you win – Eric Dier says afternoon naps are secret to Tottenham form

Spurs are third in the Premier League and top of their Champions League group despite a hectic schedule.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier celebrates scoring their side’s second goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday September 17, 2022. (PA Wire)

Eric Dier has revealed afternoon naps are the secret behind Tottenham’s fine start to the season.

A 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday helped Spurs move on to 23 points from a possible 30 in the Premier League this term, which is their best tally after 10 top-flight matches since the 1963-64 campaign.

Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg struck after the break to down the Toffees as Spurs continue to end fixtures strongly, with 15 of their 27 goals occurring in the second half.

Centre-back Dier has started every game and explained how Antonio Conte’s men have come through a demanding schedule to sit third in the Premier League and one win away from making the last-16 of the Champions League.

“There’s obviously so many games until the break, it’s incredible, so we need to take good care of ourselves physically, mentally and try to be ready for every game,” said Dier, with Spurs in the middle of a run of 13 matches in a six-week period.

“I just to try to sleep a lot! Eat well, lots of water. I try to do everything in the right way.

“Everything is there for us to recover and be in the best possible shape at the training ground. The club cover all our needs, it’s up to us to take advantage of it.

“I love a nap, I nap every day! 45 minutes or something. I get eight or nine hours (at night) and 45 minutes in the afternoon. I do it straight after training.

“It makes me feel better for the rest of the day. I think it’s good for me. I think some do it more than me. The South Americans, they love it!

“I don’t have kids, so it’s easy for me. People with kids I’ve heard it’s a little different at night. But for me, I can sleep whenever I want.”

Kane is one of many fathers at the club but showed no signs of fatigue as he grabbed his 258th goal for the club prior to the hour mark against Everton.

The England international on Monday joined a star-studded list of names to have read a bedtime story on CBeebies, kicking off a busy week.

Two days later he scored a penalty in a 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt before blazing a second over the crossbar in stoppage time, and then he hit the opener from the spot on Saturday.

It was Kane who won the penalty against Three Lions colleague Jordan Pickford and picked himself up to arrow an effort into the bottom left corner to mark his 400th appearance for Spurs with a goal.

Dier added: “I think he’s getting better and better every game. It’s nine (league) goals in 10 games. He doesn’t really get too fussed about what’s going on outside of him and keeps performing.”

Tottenham’s latest home win made it 10 in a row in N17, with seven of them occurring this season.

Newcastle, Sporting, Liverpool and Leeds are all due to visit before club football pauses on November 13 for the winter World Cup.

“I think there’s a really good connection at the moment between us and the fans,” Dier explained.

“With the new stadium, it takes a bit of time to get used to it all and I think we’re really creating a nice atmosphere here for us and a not-so-nice one for people who come to play here.

“That helps a lot and gives you a lot of confidence going into every game at home. But we know it’s not a given, we need to perform and we did that.”

Given Conte’s record of success and Tottenham’s start, talk will inevitably turn to the club ending their trophy drought.

Dier conceded it would be the best possible tribute to late fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, who died earlier this month.

He added: “His work is going to live on now in us for the rest of this season and for everyone individually for the rest of our careers.

“Yeah, that would be the ultimate tribute (to win a trophy). He gave all of himself to us every single day. So we need to try to do the same for him.”