Eric Dier reveals how the Spurs dressing room is preparing for their Champions League opener

Tottenham will return to Champions League football for the first time since 2019 when they take on Marseille on Wednesday night.

The Lillywhites host French giants Marseille on the back of an 11-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League counting from last season.

Antonio Conte has had a transformative effect on the team - leading them to an impressive run after taking over and ensuring that Champions League football was back at one of the best stadia in the world.

Arsenal were front runners for Champions League football last season- but Spurs beat the Gunners and then profited from another slip before sealing a top four finish at Norwich in the last game of the season.

Asked how he and his teammates were looking forward to playing amongst Europe’s elite, English defender Eric Dier said it was quite important for a team like Spurs to be taking on the big boys.

He told Standard Sport: “It is really exciting for us to be back.

“When you are a club like we are, with a stadium like ours, you want to have Champions League nights there.

“So we are really excited for the campaign to start on Wednesday and really looking forward to it. I am sure it is going to be a fantastic atmosphere.

“We have [the squad to cope now]. We have definitely improved in that way and the difference is proven players — Ivan [Perisic], Richy [Richarlison], Biss [Yves Bissouma] — players that have played in the Premier League and their countries.

“Big players.”

There have been talks of Dier returning to the England squad ahead of the World Cup with both Harry Maguire and Tyrone Mings struggling for form at their respective clubs.

But Dier says he is just concentrating on his game and trying to control only the things he can truly control.

He added: “I just have to play as well as I can for Tottenham. That’s the only thing in my control. All I can control is what is in my control — and that is to keep getting better game by game.

“Not just now but for the last six months or so since the last manager came here, I’ve been playing as well as I have done.

“Since he [Conte] arrived I have improved a lot and have worked hard to try to improve as much as possible and I feel very good.

“The most important thing over the summer was that we had a pre-season to work with the manager, which we had not had before.

“We were able to work physically and tactically, which made a big difference.”