Eric Dier has been out of the English football scene for two years now after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, having spent time at Bayern Munich for the past couple of seasons prior to joining AS Monaco on a free transfer over the summer months - and his time in Ligue 1 has got off to a flier, with the centre-back scoring on his debut in the competition.
Tottenham icon Dier joined the Monegasque outfit back in July, securing a three-year-deal on the Côte d'Azur, which will see him remain at the club until he's 34. And, after a solid spell in the Bundesliga, his praise has continued into his ventures abroad - seeing his debut tagged as 'exuding serenity' by French footballing critics, alongside his comparisons to Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle.
French Media React to Eric Dier Performance for Monaco
Dier lined up for Adi Hutter's side as they took on Le Havre on the opening weekend of the calendar, with Dier starting alongside Christian Mawissa in the heart of defence - and it wasn't long before they took the lead, thanks to an own goal.
But it was Dier's contribution on the hour that saw him claim a debut goal, with his header from Lamine Camara's corner beating goalkeeper Mory Diaw all ends up, to mark a solid first outing. Although Rassoul Ndiaye halved the deficit just six minutes later for Le Havre, Maghnes Akliouche wrapped up the game 15 minutes from time with a strike of his own to send Monaco top of the table on goal difference after Gameweek 1, and into the Champions League spaces.
Incidentally, Hoddle also scored on his debut for Monaco against Le Havre in a strange turn of events, but Dier's performance has received a fair share of praise. Esteemed French sporting newspaper, L'Equipe, stated that Dier was hired to bring exerpiecne and knowledge of major matches to a young squad - though he's already exuded a 'great deal of confidence and serenity' by leading a defence that was seldom-troubled by Le Havre.
Elsewhere, outlet 'Monaco Tribune' stated that it was the 'dream' Monaco debut for the English star, with Dier 'hardly putting a foot wrong at the Stade Jean Louis II, where he operated with composure, assuredness and clarity at the heart of their defence.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Eric Dier made 28 appearances for Bayern Munich last season, scoring three goals.
Although his goal drew the headlines, there were other key aspects - including his 'instrumental' passing, where he failed with just one of his 109 attempted passes, an incredible tally from the Cheltenham-born star. Also praised for his 'impeccable spatial awareness' and 'slick' scanning, that experience is exactly what Hutter will need over the course of the campaign if Monaco are to qualify for the Champions League spots again, alongside mounting a potential transfer push.
Finally, the official Ligue 1 website named it a 'perfect' debut for Dier, who is now featuring in his fourth European league at four different clubs - quite a rare feat for an England international.
Dier scored one of his three England goals in south France, albeit in Marseille, with a free-kick at EURO 2016 - and his form in France could hoist him back into the national team again, especially with Thomas Tuchel now acting as England boss, as he brought Dier to Bayern 18 months ago.
Eric Dier Bears Major Glenn Hoddle Resemblances
Dier, born in Cheltenham, moved to Portugal as a seven-year-old, coming through the ranks at Sporting as a youth player. Featuring 31 times for the capital outfit, he largely impressed on the Iberian Peninsula before moving to Tottenham in 2014, aged just 20.
He spent ten years in north London, generally being a backup centre-back for large spells of his north London stint, as well as a defensive midfielder in their golden era under Mauricio Pochettino - though, largely speaking, he wasn't rated overly-highly in England.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Glenn Hoddle won the French top-flight and Foreign Player of the Year in his first season at the club (1987-88)
If Dier can keep his strong form up in Ligue 1, then he would further follow in the footsteps of Hoddle, despite the former England gaffer winning the French top-flight in his first season in the competition. Even without the major accolade, that could be a huge recognition on Dier's part and quite the comparison, given the two differing viewpoints that Tottenham fans had over their separate careers in north London.