EPL 2020-21: Dominic Calvert-Lewin's remarkable rise to the top
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been the talk of the town for sometime now.
The 23-year-old salvaged a point for Everton with a trademark header in a dramatic 2-2 draw against defending champions, Liverpool, in the Merseyside Derby.
This was the second header he scored within a span of 10 days since his debut at Wembley on October 8th.
The Everton hotshot is a strong contender for the Premier League Golden Boot, with 7 goals in 5 appearances. He's also scored 10 goals in 16 attempts in the new season, including two hat-tricks.
Calvert-Lewin is more of an old-fashioned number nine, capable of roughing up opposition defenders and preying on their mistakes.
Early Beginnings
Born and raised in Sheffield, Clavert-Lewin joined Sheffield's United Academy, his local team, on April 28 2005 at the age of 8.
He started out as a box-to-box midfielder, progressed through the ranks and eventually signed a scholarship with the academy at 16.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was awarded the League Football Education's 'The 11', which acknowledges the progress of under 18 players in football.
Calvert-Lewin's Loan Spells and Positions Played
On 24 December 2014, Calvert-Lewin joined National League North outfit Stalybridge Celtic, on a youth loan.
As a striker, he scored a brace in his debut match against Hyde United and scored 4 more goals before returning to Bramall Lane in February 2015.
He penned a new long-term deal for the blades until summer 2018. Calvert-Lewin made his professional début for Sheffield United in 2014 at a League One clash against Leyton Orient, stepping on the field in the 66th minute of the 1–1 draw.
After making a couple more appearances in the later half of the 2014/15 season, Calvert-Lewin headed for the pre-season tour ahead of the 2015/16 season and scored a 1-0 win against Ilkeston.
On 7 August 2015, Calvert-Lewin was loaned to Northampton Town. Despite being keen on extending his loan-stay at the club, a deal between the two clubs did not materialise. By the time he left the Sixfields Stadium, he had made 26 appearances and scored 8 times across all competitions for 'the Cobblers'.
Calvert-Lewin returned to his former club and had to wait until 13th February to play again, this time against the Doncaster Rovers. The striker went on to make eight more appearances before the end of the season.
Move to Everton
David Unswroth, manager Everton U23, snatched Calvert-Lewin on deadline day during the 2016 transfer window. The deal was worth £1.5 million and the prodigy considered the move as "simply too good to resist".
After making his England U20 debut on 1 September 2016, he went onto score twice against Germany U20 and once against Senegal U20.
He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–1 win over Arsenal on 13 December 2016. After missing a couple of months due to injuries, Calvert-Lewin scored his first goal for Everton at Hull City on 18 March 2017 during the Premier League.
He finished his first season in the top-flight with a total of 11 appearances.
U20 World Cup Win and Breakthrough
Calvert-Lewin scored twice in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea, ironically the first and final goal of the tournament. The goal also made him one of the only three England players to score in a World Cup Final.
The higly-rated Englishmen began the season by scoring the win for Everton in their Europa League third qualifying round, second leg against Slovakian team MFK Ružomberok.
He scored his first brace for the Toffees in the third round of the EFL Cup against Sunderland on 20 September.
Everton's No.9
After 17 goals and two full seasons, Calvert-Lewin was handed the No.9 shirt by Everton in August ahead of the 2019/20 season.
The season saw Calvert-Lewin gradually maturing into Everton's most influential attacker as he scored Premier League goals for the first time in his career.
He celebrated his 100th game for Everton scoring twice against Sheffield United on 24 September 2019 in the third round of the EFL Cup.
With his contract due to expire, he penned a new five-year contract on May, keeping him at Merseyside till 2025.
Hot Streak and National Call-up
Calvert-Lewin began his hot streak by scoring the win against Tottenham on 13 September 2020.
He followed through with his first Premier League hat-trick in a 5–2 victory over West Bromwich Albion. He scored his second hat-trick in a 4–1 win against West Ham United in the EFL Cup on 30 September. This made Calvert-Lewin the first Everton player to score two hat-tricks in one month, since Dixie Dean in November 1931.
Calvert-Lewin scored in the fourth consecutive Premier League match with a towering header against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 4–2 victory at Goodison Park on 3 October 2020.
He was named Premier League Player of the Month (September) for his achievements in the penalty box.
Calvert-Lewin received his first England call-up by Gareth Southgate. He continued his scoring spree on the international stage with a header in his maiden appearance for England, a 3–0 win against Wales at Wembley Stadium on October 8th.
Calvert-Lewin's derby goal against Liverpool was his fifth score at the Premier League.
After multiple false dawns, the Toffees might have finally found the right remedy for success. Of all the stars that have been part of the squad, it's Calvert-Lewin who has shone the brightest.