England coach Gareth Southgate says axing Tottenham defender Eric Dier was a "difficult" call.
Dier has been a regular since Southgate was appointed as England manager and shone for him at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The centre-back, however, has endured a difficult season with Spurs and he was left out of England's 33-man provisional squad for this summer's Euros, which was named on Tuesday.
Asked if it was a difficult conversation with Dier, Southgate said: “Yes, definitely.
“He is a man who I have tremendous respect for and he has been, as you've rightly identified, a key player in some of our biggest nights, some of our biggest moments.
“Unfortunately I just don't think his season has been strong enough to be in the squad.
"And that's a difficult call because I know how much he brings to the whole group, and when you're away at a tournament, those team players, those people that put the team first, are critical.
“So that wasn't an easy conversation. But he's an outstanding professional and he took the news in a really professional way."
