Leeds United fans complained when Dominic Calvert-Lewin put pen to paper in the summer. Many fans had their reservations about signing the former Everton striker.
While some thought he was a needed addition to the team since they were making the step up to the Premier League, while others were worried that the Whites overpaid for an injury prone player. Daniel Farke was one of the only people at the club who fully backed the 28-year old from the onset; he was adamant that the team needed a striker at that level to succeed.
The early parts of the season saw Calvert-Lewin being slowly introduced off the bench as he had had no pre-season. Sources revealed much later that the player’s camp were scared he would not even get a Premier League offer in the summer.
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The striker’s early days at Leeds United were a bit mixed; when he scored his first goal against Wolves, there was a lot of optimism. Then he went on a long goal drought which lead fans to question why the team signed him and is paying him a lot of wages. It took a few games on the bench for the striker to catch a breath and rediscover his form. Since November, he has gone on to score eight Premier League goals.
| Player | Goals | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | 9 | 21 |
| Lukas Nmecha | 5 | 19 |
| Brenden Aaronson | 4 | 22 |
| Anton Stach | 3 | 20 |
And even though he failed to find the back of the net against Everton on Monday night, former Leeds striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink fully believes that the 28-year old could make an impact for England if selected:
“In the last five minutes, if you have to go a little bit longer, we had Ivan Toney, but somebody like a Calvert-Lewin.”
The 28-year old has four goals in 11 England caps since his debut in 2020.
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Dominic Calvert-Lewin entering England conversations in the first place is a testament to how well he has played this season. Daniel Farke also deserves a lot of credit; during the striker’s goal drought, he never called him out in public and continued to speak about how well he did without the ball. Now, Calvert-Lewin is in hot form and delivering for the club this season. Many teams who avoided him during the summer will definitely be regretting their decision. Leeds United fans will be hoping that the striker can continue this form and guide them to safety at the end of the season.
