Football fans have reacted to Anton Ferdinand's comments that Eric Dier shouldn't have been called up for the England squad.

Gareth Southgate recently announced his 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and there were some notable additions, as well as omissions. 

Jesse Lingard and Luke Shaw returned to the squad, while Ollie Watkins received his first international call-up. On the other hand, Trent Alexander-Arnold wasn't included and the England manager cited that he hasn't played well enough for Liverpool this season. 

Speaking on talkSPORT's Kick Off show, former West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand disagreed with Southgate's selection of Spurs defender Dier. 

"Gareth Southgate said that I'm not going to pick players on popularity, I'm going to pick players on form. In this squad, for sure, he hasn't done that," the ex-defender said. 

"He's done that in certain positions. With the right-back, he's not taking Trent because he hasn't played well. 

"But when you look at centre-back and you've got Eric Dier going ahead of Michael Keane, it's ridiculous for me personally."

He later added: "Tell me a centre-back who has been more consistent over the course of a season than Michael Keane, I don't think there is one." 

In response to Ferdinand's views, Premier League fans have taken to Twitter to share their opinions. 

Across the board, multiple accounts have questioned Southgate's selection. Alongside Keane, one user pointed to the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo, Ben Mee, James Tarkowski and Ezri Konsa as more consistent performers than the Spurs man. 

According to WhoScored, Dier has provided the lowest average rating in the Premier League, with 6.71, out of any of the five defenders previously mentioned. 

Furthermore, other accounts have made their cases for the likes of Everton's Ben Godrey, as well as Arsenal's Callum Chambers and Rob Holding. 

Although one fan criticised Dier and dismissed Ferdinand's comments by saying, "Keane and Dier wouldn't get in San Marino's team, both bang average". 

GIVEMESPORT's Tom Kelly says... 

The one thing that Southgate needs throughout his squad selection is consistency. It ultimately sends mixed messages as Alexander-Arnold paid the price for his below-par performances but Dier still manages to stroll into the England team. 

There are an array of more in-form options in the position and it does seem like Southgate has opted for the defender based upon his previous exploits with the national squad. 

It would be understandable if Southgate offered Dier's position to an up-and-coming defender, such as Konsa or Adarabioyo, to provide them with invaluable international experience. However, the Tottenham defender ultimately feels like a wasted inclusion for this England squad.