Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been enjoying blistering goalscoring form since the commencement of the 2020-2021 season in the Premier League. The 23-year-old England striker has credited the club’s former striker, Duncan Ferguson as the inspiration behind his goalscoring form.
Before Duncan Ferguson retired from Everton in 2006, he played a total number of 256 matches for the Merseyside club; he scored 68 goals and provided 2 assists.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin first had direct contact with Duncan Ferguson in 2019 when he returned to the club as an interim coach after 14 years of retirement. Ferguson took over from Marco Silva in a caretaker capacity until the club appointed Carlo Ancelotti on 21 December 2019.
When Carlo Ancelotti took over as a substantive coach of Everton, Ferguson remained the club’s assistant coach and continued to push Dominic Calvert-Lewin to become a deadlier striker.
Calvert-Lewin revealed that Ferguson taught him to believe more in his strength and use his stature to his own advantage which he has been doing that has greatly improved his game and made him a more influential player.
The tutelage Calvert-Lewin got from Ferguson has helped him to score 6 goals in 4 Premier League matches and has made him the current highest goalscorer in the Premier League. It has also helped him to get his first call-up to the England national team.
The raving striker said: “Firstly, I think people have Duncan down as being this big, angry man. He’s actually a very nice guy when you’re up close with him.
“But in terms of that on the pitch, he just told me to back myself more, believe in my stature, and backed my strength.
“I think its a confidence thing. When you do it once, you start to do it more consistently, and then it becomes a part of your game. I think that’s what’s happened.
“The Premier League is the top league in the world. It’s definitely toughened me up and mentally made me into the person I am now.”
Dominic Calvert-Lewin could play his first match for England senior national team on Thursday against Wales in an international friendly. And he could even play two more international games for England on October 11 and 14 when England play against Belgium and Denmark respectively in the European Nations League campaign.
The 23-year-old center-forward had said that he is already looking forward to playing alongside the country’s talisman Harry Kane.
Calvert-Lewin is proud of the number 9 shirt
Calvert-Lewin is now wearing the confidence-boosting number 9 shirt which Ferguson wore while at Everton. The prestige placed on the shirt number and the influence of Ferguson has made him an unstoppable striker since the commencement of the 2020-2021 season.
When he was given the squad number 9, critics thought it would put too much pressure on him but the football star has been enjoying his football even more than when he was wearing shirt number 29.
“It was a statement of intent,” Calvert-Lewin said. “There have been some exceptional players to wear the No 9 shirt for Everton. For me to get that number, I knew what it meant and I knew what was required.
“People at the time were uncertain if it was the right decision, but I’d like to think I’ve proven those people wrong and I wear the No 9 with pride.”
