It's tough not to react when you get abuse

BUT YOU HAVE TO BE CALM

I CAN sympathise with Eric Dier, the Tottenham Hotspur defender who clambered into the crowd to confront a supporter.

The England man was reportedly trying to help his brother, who was being abused by an angry Spurs fan in the stands.

As a player, you take a lot of stick. I played 490-odd games and I got abused in every single one of them. My wife, my mum, my dad, my dog everyone was insulted. Really nasty, horrible stuff.

The dog’s abuse I got at Chesterfield was awful. I’d only taken over as interim manager, but I got hammered from the minute my team kicked off. Not support. Abuse. From my own fans. You sit there and can’t believe it.

Was I tempted to react? Of course. I’ve often had to talk to myself, calm down, and remind myself that my career comes first.