Former England skipper Terry Butcher has labelled Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier as the most important player in Roy Hodgson's squad for Euro2016.

The 22-year-old, who didn't play for the Three Lions in the Euro qualifying campaign, has cemented his place in the national squad after making his debut back in November but Butcher suggests he could be the key to their chances in France.

Butcher told Sky Sports: "I said in a newspaper column recently that Eric Dier is England's most important player.

"He is not the most glamorous, like Rooney is for example, but Dier offers so much. He can slot into the back four - hopefully without scoring another own goal like he did last week - which is especially useful when our full-backs get forward, as they will need covering.

"Teams like Russia, for example, will want to try and hit England on the counter attack, so Dier is the main barrier to fend that threat off.

"By allowing Danny Drinkwater to go home, it says that we are pretty comfortable in the central midfield area. Dier's versatility allowed Roy to pick another striker option."