In a parallel universe, the summer might have been very different for Eric Dier. Instead of the indignity of Iceland, he might have been the pride of Paris.
It seems a little preposterous initially, but a tall, gangly Anglo-Saxon looking player could have gate-crashed Portugal's party and been stood alongside Cristiano Ronaldo lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy.
This, after all, is a young man who did his growing up in Portugal and came through the ranks at Sporting Lisbon.
![England's Eric Dier played in the 3-0 victory over Scotland on Friday night at Wembley](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/11/12/22/3A487FEF00000578-3930754-image-a-54_1478988745167.jpg)
And when he was a teenager, the Portuguese FA came calling for him.