‘Nature was calling’: Hilarious moment Eric Dier abandoned his defensive duties to sprint to the TOILET, only for Jose Mourinho to follow him down the tunnel – before Tottenham’s star man jokes the loo was the ‘real man of the match’
- Tottenham were trailing 1-0 thanks to Timo Werner’s goal when it happened
- Some initially believed that Eric Dier had been substituted by Jose Mourinho
- But that was put to bed when Mourinho went after him before he re-emerged
- Both Dier and Mourinho confirmed what had happened after Spurs beat Chelsea
Eric Dier was caught up in a hilarious moment when he sprinted to use the toilet during Tottenham’s Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea, with Jose Mourinho running after him.
The hosts were trailing 1-0 thanks to Timo Werner’s first-half strike, but with 15 minutes to go the England international was spotted charging off the pitch.
Some initially believed that the 26-year-old had simply been substituted by Mourinho, but that was quickly put to bed when the Portuguese boss followed him down the tunnel.
Tottenham’s Eric Dier was caught up in a hilarious moment when he sprinted to use the toilet
Jose Mourinho went after Dier down the tunnel in Spurs’ Carabao Cup win against Chelsea
Some thought Dier had been substituted but that was put to bed when Mourinho followed him
Dier did re-emerge from the tunnel moments later, before reports from the ground later stated he had simply dashed off to use the toilet.
Tottenham went on to win the game on penalties after Erik Lamela’s equaliser and Mason Mount’s inaccurate spot-kick, before Mourinho and Dier both confirmed what had happened in the second half.
Dier told Sky Sports: ‘He [Mourinho] wasn’t happy but there was nothing I could do about it, nature was calling.
Dier did re-emerge from the tunnel moments later before Spurs equalised through Erik Lamela
Both Dier and Mourinho confirmed what had happened to Dier following the shootout victory
‘I heard there was a chance when I wasn’t on, but thankfully they didn’t score. For one to fall our way is a very nice feeling.’
Mourinho told Sky Sports: ‘Dier had to go, no other chance, he had to go. Maybe it’s a normal thing when you are dehydrated, have nothing in your muscles.
‘I knew he had to go but I was trying to put some pressure on him to have him back for the remaining time. He was a great example for everybody.’
Speaking to reporters after the game, Mourinho then said laughing: ‘The problem is it was not a pee.
‘For him to leave the pitch you can imagine what happened. I knew it and I was just pushing him to come back as soon as possible.
‘It is the consequence of something not human that he did to play two matches completely dehydrated, tired, no energy in the muscles, completely dead. Of course he is not playing on Thursday because I would definitely kill him.’
Dier also saw the funny side of things after the game, putting his man-of-the-match award on top of one of the toilets at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and commenting: ‘The real M.O.M’.
Mourinho posted himself smiling on Instagram afterwards too, stating in a cheerful mood: ‘Proud of all my players but this one led by example. 180 minutes in 48 hours,’ before tagging Dier in the post.
Many supporters and pundits alike also took to social media to express the funny side of what was an unusual incident in the fourth-round Carabao Cup tie.
Gary Lineker – who famously soiled himself in an England World Cup game against the Republic of Ireland in 1990 – wrote in jest: ‘Strange scenes as @ericdier runs off the pitch to the dressing room, followed hastily by Mourinho.
‘Then Dier runs back out to resume playing. Presumably he needed the loo. Players just don’t s*** on the pitch anymore. What’s wrong with them?’
Another user called for the incident to be included in another documentary on the club for this season following the one for 2019-20, stating: ‘I’m gonna need series two of All or Nothing just to see Jose banging the toilet door down whilst Dier is trying to have a s****, worth the Amazon Prime price on it’s own.’
One user however preferred to comment on the Spurs boss’ part in the incident, stating: ‘Mourinho is the most entertaining guy in football history. The way he ran after Dier is box office stuff.’
Another agreed, adding: ‘Jose Mourinho chasing Eric Dier down the tunnel, this guy is the definition of football entertainment.’