Leeds United appear to have not just signed a Premier League proven goalscorer in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but a player who also brings leadership with him to the dressing room.
Calvert-Lewin recently revealed he spoke with Jack Harrison ahead of his move to Leeds, with the striker’s decision to join the Whites certainly looking to be the correct one so far.
With nine goals to his name so far, Calvert-Lewin has proved to be one of, if not the most important player in Daniel Farke’s squad.
But it is what the striker did at half-time during one of Leeds’ games that will intrigue supporters, as they discover just how pivotal Calvert-Lewin has been to United’s success so far this season.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin delivered an inspired half-time speech against Manchester City
Brenden Aaronson was impressed with the speech his forward delivered at half-time during the Whites’ visit to the Etihad to take on Manchester City, labelling it as “unforgettable.”
In a recent interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post, Calvert-Lewin shed some light on what he said at half-time during the game after Leeds were two goals down.
“I can’t remember word for word, because when you say things out of passion and emotion and heat at the moment, it’s hard to remember everything, but I just remember leaning on my previous experience as a Premier League player and saying that there can be pivotal moments in seasons where things can change positively and negatively.
“I recognise that more so because I’ve been through it before with Everton, where we had three massive games at that stage in the season against top six opposition, and everyone writes you off before you’ve even played your first game. And then there’s two ways to look at it.
“You can write yourselves off, or you can go and think that we’ve got a real serious chance here to change the narrative, change momentum into our favor and build from it.
“I said something along those lines at Man City to kind of just rally the guys and make sure that off the back of the run that we’d had that we can still believe, and we have to believe, that we can compete. And I believe that week has been the catalyst leading into, probably, my personal form, and that coinciding with the team’s collective form, and that’s something that we have to keep building.”
This inspired speech is particularly impressive when you consider the fact that Calvert-Lewin started as a substitute in that game, showing he is fully invested in the team, even when he isn’t playing.
Leeds came out looking like a different side in that second half, and although they lost 3-2, the second half momentum they had built was something the team carried forward with them over multiple weeks.
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Data suggests Calvert-Lewin has been impressive for Leeds this season
If Calvert-Lewin scores one more time in the Premier League this season, it will be the first time he has hit double digits in the league since the 2020/21 season.
A large factor in the Englishman’s success this season has been how clinical he has been in front of goal, scoring nine from an expected goals of just 8.19.
As well as this, the forward only averages 2.1 shots per game with 0.9 of those shots going on target on average (Sofascore), showcasing that whilst he may not have an abundance of service in this Leeds side, he has certainly made the most of the opportunities he has been given.
With the signing of Facundo Buonanotte, the Whites may become a more creative outfit for the remainder of the season, meaning the chances of Calvert-Lewin adding to his tally will only increase even further.
