EVERTON FC’S young England defender Eric Dier has returned to Sporting Lisbon for a better chance of regular first team football.
The 18-year-old moved to Everton on loan in January 2011 and extended the loan for the whole of last season.
He made 12 reserve appearances but didn’t feature in a first team squad and boss David Moyes said: “We wanted him to stay with us. We knew he wanted to be in the first team, even though there would be little chance. Maybe Ricardo Sa Pinto (the Sporting coach) and Sporting have other plans for him.”
Dier moved to Portugal from England when he was seven and caught the attention of the Sporting scouts.
He signed professional terms with the Lisbon club in 2010.
Eligible to represent Portugal and England, he opted for England and won caps at Under-18 and Under-19 level.
But he failed to break into the senior set up at Everton and believes a switch back to Portugal offers him a greater chance of first team football.
Everton striking target Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson, meanwhile, has agreed a deal to sign for Wolves, subject to agreeing terms and coming through a medical.
The Iceland international is expected to pen a four-year contract at Molineux after an undisclosed fee was agreed with Lillestrom.
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