Dominic Calvert-Lewin has more than answered questions as to whether he can lead Everton’s forward line for years to come.
The target man has 11 goals in just 17 Premier League appearances this season and has transformed the Toffees’ attack. A tall and prolific marksman, he appears to be just as good aerially (winning 4.6 headers per league game this season) as he is at closing in on goals with thunderous strikes and convincing composure.
At just 23 years of age, he is by no means the finished product – and the potential for him to only get better is a mouth-watering prospect to the Everton faithful.
Indeed, it is that potential which has seen the England international enjoy a 50-fold increase in valuation from the initial £1.5m the Toffees paid Sheffield United for his signature in 2016.
Calvert-Lewin now has a market value of £51m according to global accountancy firm KPMG, in analysis reported by the Liverpool Echo. The player’s value has skyrocketed by £9.1m since October 2020, representing the eighth-highest rise in the Premier League and 16th-highest value jump in all of Europe.
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To say it is merely luck that Calvert-Lewin is such a rising star is a nonsense; only through tactical tweaks and careful coaching has Carlo Ancelotti and his diligent staff team yielded the best from the hitman.
The manager has previously devolved responsibility onto the stoic self-improving attitude of the player, saying:
Dominic has all the attributes to become one of the best strikers in England and in Europe.
He is fast, has good skills, is strong in the air and works extremely hard for the team. He also has a fantastic mentality, and his desire to improve has impressed me ever since I came to the club.
However, it is telling that Ancelotti looked no further than what he had to work with when he arrived in December 2019. In truth, tactical analysis shows that he did little more other than keep the player further forward and encouraged balls to be fed to him.
Beyond that, Ancelotti played to his strengths and took time to ensure that his mentality did not go unnoticed. He deserves plaudits for his simple yet effective man-management and faith in a player.
It has evidently led to a team being built around the scorer, building a relationship in which manager, player and the club reap rewards in equal measure.
