Sam Allardyce has attempted to backtrack on his comments insisting Eric Dier is just as good as Sergio Busquets.

The former England and Everton boss, speaking the day after England’s 3-2 win over Spain, said Tottenham’s Dier deserves more credit if Busquets is to be considered a “genius”.

"The praise about Busquets must be stopped, it was never evident last night, he looked out of sorts," Allardyce told talkSPORT. "He's no better or worse than Eric Dier, for me.”

The 63-year-old received a great deal of stick after making the comments and has since admitted he “slipped up”.

“What I was doing was sticking up for Dier, after the amount of stick he's been getting,” Allardyce told Sky Sports.

Too late, Sam. The damage has already been done.

Putting Dier in the same sentence as Barcelona’s Busquets is just bizarre and even the Spanish media have reacted to the comparison.

Spanish media have reacted

Sport Witness have collected the response from Catalan-based Mundo Deportivo in their Thursday edition.

They’re not at all happy, describing any comparison between the two midfielders as “odious”.

They even take a shot at Allardyce, pointing out that he is currently without a job and “entertains himself talking about football”.

“With all the respect for those who have sat on a bench, it does not seem that Dier is better than Busquets,” Mundo write.

“They play in the same position and almost have the same height, but the characteristics are very different.

“Sergio has grown up with receiving and passing, in the occupation of spaces and in sublimation, with Guardiola, of the purest Barca DNA of control and speed of the ball.

“Dier has not sucked in the magic potion and, therefore, his football is different when it comes to conceiving the creation of the game.

“Dier is very good, Sergio is a unique crack.”

Mundo also claim that, although Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino tries to defeat an opponent by passing through them, ultimately it’s about getting the ball to Harry Kane and Dele Alli to do the damage.

Allardyce probably regrets ever opening his mouth.