Eric Dier is surprised Harry Kane was overlooked for the Ballon d’Or but backed his fellow Tottenham players to compete for the award in future.

Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is on the 30-man shortlist but Kane is not, despite finishing last season as the Premier League’s top scorer.

Lloris is one of seven players from the English game to have been nominated.

Manchester City pair Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne feature along with Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet of West Ham and Leicester duo Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.

“Leicester won the Premier League but that doesn’t mean to say Harry should miss out,” Dier told Standard Sport. “He had a fantastic season.

“To be top scorer in the League after the slow start he had (Kane scored just once in his first nine League games) was a brilliant achievement.

“He could have been on that list, though I am sure he is not too bothered about it. We have many players who can be on it in the future, though, if they want to. It is a matter of working hard and trying to improve.”

The prize is run solely by France Football magazine, after FIFA ended their association with it last month. It is thought the world governing body will ultimately launch their own trophy.

The list of 30 is whittled down to three candidates, from which the winner is chosen. Lionel Messi, of Barcelona, holds the award but Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is considered this year’s favourite after helping Portugal win Euro 2016.

Kane is currently sidelined with an ankle injury but has started training outdoors again and Tottenham hope his return is imminent.

The forward has been missed recently, with Spurs scoring only once from open play in their last four matches.

His replacement, Vincent Janssen, scored from the penalty spot at Liverpool last night but Daniel Sturridge’s double gave the home side a 2-1 win and booked their place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.