Tottenham star Eric Dier sensationally jumped into the crowd to confront one of the club’s supporters who was verbally abusing him after the north Londoners were knocked out of the FA Cup.
Dier was heading for the tunnel until he spotted his brother — a spectator at the match sitting in an area allocated for players’ families where the incident occurred — arguing with the fan who had been abusing him.
He then clambered over rows of seats and stormed high into the crowd to wade in as tensions spilled over after Spurs had crashed out on penalties to Norwich, blowing their best hope of winning a trophy this season.
Footage shows a man in black and orange coat running away as Dier approaches, before he is held back from chasing the supporter down a stairwell. Tottenham, the police and the Football Association are all investigating the incident and a fan has already been identified.
Eric Dier climbed into the crowd to angrily confront a Tottenham fan after a defeat to Norwich
Dier (circled on the right) appears to want to confront the man in question (circled to his left) but is restrained by his brother and other fans
Dier is seen pointing at the fan before trying to make his way towards him after the game
The Tottenham midfielder was left incensed with one fan and he went to go and confront him
Social media saw a photo emerge of Dier climbing over rows of empty seats to get to the fan
Dier (right) poses for a family meal with his brother Patrick (left) sitting opposite him
Dier (centre) was also joined by his brother Patrick (far left) on a holiday in the summer of 2018
Sportsmail believe it was Patrick (right) who was in the stands rather than his other brother Edward (centre)
Dier is facing an FA charge for an extraordinary incident which overshadowed their FA Cup exit against the Canaries.
The England international was heard on camera footage taken by one supporter near the incident shouting ‘he’s my brother, he’s my brother’ before he was ushered away from the flashpoint and through a door at the back of the stands by bystanders, including other fans and stewards.
Dier’s brother was invited into the dressing room following the clash and the club are working to identify the fan — who ran off — that was singled out for abuse by Dier.
Dier has two brothers Edward and Patrick but Sportsmail believes it is the latter who appeared to hold the Tottenham utility man back.
The abuse aimed at the England international was said to be ‘horrendous’ but it is not yet known what was said.
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho said: ‘This person insulted Eric, the family was there, the young brother was not happy with the situation then Eric did what we professionals cannot do but we probably would do.
Stadium security looked to diffuse the situation in the lower west stand at the end of the game
Dier was held back by club security as he looked to get to the fan that had left him incensed
‘When somebody insults you and your family is there and they get involved with the person insulting him I think Eric Dier did what we professionals cannot do but probably what everyone of us would do.
‘The supporters that are in this privileged position, in this area of the tunnel, of course some are Tottenham fans but also a lot of corporate [fans], invitations and people with special status.
‘It is probably the place in the stadium I sometimes have doubts if they are real Tottenham fans because these ones were the ones who supported the boys.’
Initially there were suggestions Dier stepped in after team-mate Gedson Fernandes, who had his decisive spot-kick saved, was racially abused.
But Mourinho said: ‘I don’t know [about that]. I know just that the reaction of Eric was based on his brother not liking what was happening there.’
Asked if the club will discipline Dier following the incident, which evoked memories of Eric Cantona’s clash with a supporter at Crystal Palace in January 1995, Mourinho said: ‘If the club does that I would not agree but he did wrong.’
Dier’s manager, Jose Mourinho, said he would not agree if the player was punished by the club
The altercation, which occurred in the lower west stand where players’ families sit, came after Fernandes had seen the decisive kick saved by Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul.
Penalty expert Krul saved two Spurs penalties from Troy Parrott and Fernandes to help Norwich reach the last eight for the first time in 28 years. They will host either Derby or Manchester United in the quarter finals.
Dutchman Krul, who was memorably brought on in the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals by Louis van Gaal just for the penalty shootout and had Spurs’s takers written on his water bottle, said: ‘As a little boy you want to save penalties and get your club through. Big emotions today.
‘Everyone says I am good at penalties so I knew I’d better start saving some. Me and my coach do our homework, I had them on my bottle, it all happens in a shootout.
‘What a place to do it as well and for 9,000 fans to be here on a Wednesday night.’
Tim Krul was the hero of the shoot-out for Norwich after he saved two Tottenham penalties