Dominic Calvert-Lewin has surprised plenty with his performances for Leeds United this season, with his goals playing a key role in keeping the club well clear of the relegation fight.
Many supporters were unconvinced when Leeds signed him on a free transfer last summer, with concerns stemming from his recent injury record and limited scoring output. Those doubts initially cast a shadow over the move.
However, the club believed the 28-year-old would make a real impact if he could remain fit, and he has repaid that faith with consistent contributions throughout the season.
It is hard to believe that Calvert-Lewin was seen as a liability in the summer transfer window. However, he insisted Leeds were not only his option before he arrived at Elland Road.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has opened up on his decision to join Leeds
Calvert-Lewin insisted that staying in the Premier League was his priority as he wanted to prove himself again, as too many people were prepared to write him off once he left Everton.
However, he admitted that he was in talks with several clubs in Europe while waiting for the right offer on his table, which came from Leeds.
The 28-year-old admitted that Leeds felt like the perfect club for him to join after he moved on from Everton at the end of last season.
Asked about interest from a Champions League club, Calvert-Lewin told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “You’re the first person to ask me that question, and I ponder over it sometimes, and I look at what’s happened over the last five months, how it feels good when a plan comes together.
“And the plan’s not finished. The ultimate goal, regardless of what I achieve on a personal level, is to stay in the Premier League. And that’s been in my mind from the moment I joined the club.
“But when it came to it, I was free, and I was speaking to different clubs across Europe, and there was the narrative around me that was that – you hear this as a player, especially when you’ve got all summer to do nothing but think – perhaps I was finished, people would say that I maybe didn’t have anything to offer anymore in the Premier League.
“And I guess maybe that’s where ego comes in a little bit, and I wanted to prove more so to myself that I’ll decide when I’m finished, and that’s when the Leeds opportunity came.
“I had the conversations with people at the club, and then spoke to the manager, and I knew in my heart that this was a perfect platform for me to go and prove to myself, but also show the world what I can do on a football pitch.”
Calvert-Lewin in the fight to play for England in the World Cup
Too many people are ready to ignore Calvert-Lewin’s form and are backing other strikers to be in the England squad for the World Cup next summer.
Thomas Tuchel will wait until March to name his next England squad, with the national side set to return for two friendlies, one of them against Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | 20 | 9 | 1 | 1,406 |
| Ollie Watkins | 22 | 7 | 1 | 1,661 |
There is still ample time and plenty of fixtures to be played before the England manager settles on his selections. Calvert-Lewin is in excellent form and looks sharper than he has in years, and if he stays fit while continuing to score, the pressure on Tuchel will only intensify.
By contrast, rivals such as Ollie Watkins are struggling for consistency at this stage of the campaign, with the Leeds striker currently outperforming every English forward other than Harry Kane.
