Eric Dier says he was hurt by what Conte was constantly saying about Tottenham last season

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Tottenham Hotspur star Eric Dier has revealed that it hurt him every time Antonio Conte spoke about the gap between Spurs and the top Premier League teams last season.

Spurs were in a terrible position when the Italian took charge in November last year. Nobody really believed they would qualify for the Champions League, but they did in the end. Conte’s motivational skills played a key part.

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Eric Dier says he was hurt by Conte’s comments about Tottenham last season

On numerous occasions last season, Conte was asked about being on the same level as the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, but the Italian always maintained that his side were not there yet.

Back at the start of January this year, the Italian claimed that there was a big gap between Tottenham and Chelsea. Later in the same month, after losing to the Blues, he claimed that the gap between Spurs and the top teams is ‘very large’.

Even earlier this month, the Italian claimed that Spurs have to go ‘step by step’ to reduce the gap between themselves and the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

The intention behind Conte’s comments may well have been to motivate his players, but Dier has admitted today that he was really hurt by some of those remarks.

He told Sky Sports: “As a player, when he said that, it touches your pride, you know? It bothered me when he said that. I think it’s good for us to hear those things because, yeah, when he said that, it hurts you.”

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Conte has truly revolutionised Tottenham.

Spurs were a very average side under Nuno Espirito Santo. They looked awful at times, but the change under Conte has been extraordinary, and finishing inside the top four last season is proof of that.

The gap between Tottenham and the two big teams definitely still exists. However, it is considerably smaller than what it was in November last year. That should fill Spurs fans with a lot of optimism about this season.

Tottenham take on Conte’s old club, Chelsea, this weekend, and a convincing victory against the Blues will definitely send a message to Liverpool and Manchester City.