Carlo Ancelotti says his No 9 can be one of Europe’s best strikers as fine form puts him firmly on Southgate’s radar
Timing is everything, especially for strikers. When to run. When to jump. When to shoot. When to take an extra touch. Get a couple of these things right and you stand a chance of doing well; get all of them right and you could be as good as Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
That may be stretching it, but what’s for sure is that Calvert-Lewin is doing a lot of right things at the right moment right now, making him one of the most in-form players in the country and, in turn, a near certainty to be selected by Gareth Southgate for the
England squad for the friendlies with
Italy and Denmark at the end of this month. Cover is needed for the injured Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford, and Southgate’s presence at Goodison Park last Sunday for Everton’s 1-1 draw with
Manchester United suggests he sees Calvert-Lewin as the next man in. If so, he would have been satisfied with seeing the 22-year-old score his fifth goal in six games and 15th in all competitions this season.