Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin spoke to Squawka about his career so far.
The 28-year-old recalled coming through the ranks at boyhood club Sheffield United, before making the move to Everton and the responsibilities there. Calvert-Lewin also spoke about the impact a non-league loan had on his career.
Calvert-Lewin looked back on his England experience at Euro 2020 and being back in the conversation for the 2026 World Cup squad.
As a Sheffield boy and Sheffield United fan, what was it like to come through the club’s academy? Do you feel like you put extra pressure on yourself to succeed because it was your boyhood club?
It seems like a long time ago now, but when I finally got the chance to play in the first team, I did put a lot of pressure on myself. Because it was my boyhood club. My dad’s a Sheffield United fan, I had friends who were Sheffield United fans. So it was quite tough, actually, being a young lad making my debut, I probably wasn’t playing as free as I would have liked. But it was obviously a great experience nonetheless.
Like a lot of players breaking through, you spent some time in non-league and League Two. How do you think that helped shape you as a player in your early years?
It was pivotal. And I’d urge any young player to get out there and get experience in men’s football as early as possible. That was really the catalyst for me to where I first became a centre-forward. Because I was a central midfielder before that, not too long before I went to non-league. And I went there as a striker, scored goals and it gave me all the confidence I needed to drive me on. So for me, that period in non-league will always be a pivotal part of my journey.
What were your initial thoughts when Everton came calling in 2016, if you can remember? Was it hard to move away from Sheffield United?
Well actually, at the time I was in the first team, but I moved down the pecking order. I think they had just brought in three or four experienced strikers at the time at that level. So I knew my game time was going to be limited and I was actually trying to get out on loan that summer.
When I first found out about the Everton interest, I was on holiday in Ayia Napa with my mates and I got a call from my agent and I couldn’t believe it. At the time I was buzzing, and it was surreal. Things went up and down for the next six to eight weeks, and I didn’t end up signing until deadline day. It was on and then it was off, and then it was back on again two days before deadline day. But I remember thinking, as soon as I heard that they were interested, that I had to go there.
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Your paths didn’t cross for too long, but did you learn anything from Romelu Lukaku during your early time playing and training alongside him at Everton?
Again, a surreal experience. When I first joined and got into the first team much quicker than I thought I would, because I joined as an under-23 player. So to play up close with Rom was great. I just remember how good he was in front of goal, and how hard he could kick the ball. I’ve never seen someone sidefoot a ball so hard in my life. And that’s why I remember thinking as a young kid, that’s the level I’ve got to get to.
And he was great with me. I remember one thing, when I think I’d come on as a sub against Hull away, I remember it quite vividly actually. A ball had been crossed in and someone had unsighted me, and I headed it and headed it wide, and it would have been the winner. And I was gutted, and I got on the bus, I was upset, and he was getting on the bus and he just said, ‘I miss chances, you’re going to miss chances, but score the next one, it’s alright’. And he didn’t have to do that. So I’ve always been a supporter of Rom from the moment I started playing with him, but even more so for that point. I appreciated that gesture a lot.
In just your second season you quickly became Everton’s first-choice striker, still aged just 20. What was that like, having to deal with the pressure and expectations at such a young age?
It was tough. But I’m always someone that likes a challenge and I believed that I belonged there. But if I look back from where I am now, I was still very much raw. I hadn’t been a centre-forward for all that long really, probably for two or three years I’d been playing as a striker. So to then be going and doing it in the biggest, most-watched league in the world was difficult, under the watchful eyes of the Evertonians as well.I had a lot to prove, but I stayed mentally strong and resilient in my pursuit of getting to where I wanted to be. And that led me to where I am now.
During that time you also made your England debut and went on to make two appearances at Euro 2020. How was that experience?
It was amazing. And I probably didn’t appreciate at the time how amazing it was. It’s only since it’s been a long time since I did it, that I grew to appreciate even more what I’d achieved and how, in doing that, it’s what I wanted to achieve from being a young boy. But when you’re in the moment, you don’t really take it in as much as you do after, and as much as you do when it’s not there anymore. So the time away from the England squad just made me appreciate that moment even more, and just be grateful about it.
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After the highs of 2019-20 and 2020-21, frequent injuries started to hit. How hard was it to overcome those problems, both physically and mentally, to become the striker you are today?
In moments, it was really difficult. When I had all that momentum off the back of the Euros, off the back of my best season, to have everything put to a stop. It was really difficult to deal with. And again, I’m thinking in hindsight, it’s shaped me into the man and player I am today. And I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m very grateful for all my experiences, but most of all, I’m grateful for the choices I made in those moments that I chose to keep pushing and keep striving to get back. To get back every time you have a setback. I always knew that there’d be a comeback, and eventually you will prevail if you just keep going. If I would have down tools and stopped, I wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation with you now. So yeah, I persevered and kept going.
What caught your eye about Leeds when looking for a new club in the summer?
The size of the club, but also the opportunity that was at hand. They were looking for a number nine, and I was looking to be the main number nine. And once the conversation started, I just got the feeling that I’d been looking for the whole summer of a place that could feel like home. And from the moment I joined, it felt like home.
It took me a while to get going, but I knew I would get going. And I’ve just been proven right the longer time has gone on, in the way that the fans have taken me in, the performances I’ve been able to put in and repay that. It’s been a great feeling and probably the most enjoyable season that I’ve played.
You’re in some of the best form of your Premier League career. How important has Daniel Farke been to getting you back to your best?
I think it would have been difficult to do what I’ve done without the support of everybody involved, and particularly the manager. From the moment I joined, I could feel the trust that he was putting in me. I think the relationship between the manager and the number nine is unique, because you can dictate outcomes at the end of the day. And a manager can be largely reliant on how well his number nine is doing. So for him to put that faith in me and think that I’m the right man for the job, to come and be his number nine, I appreciated that. And then as the season’s gone on, he’s trusted and had faith in me. And I’m thankful that thus far I’ve been able to repay it and still recognise there’s work to be done.
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What are your hopes for the rest of the season? What do you think you can achieve with Leeds, and is the World Cup in your thoughts at all?
First and foremost, it’s to make sure that Leeds United are a Premier League club next season. And that was the main objective number one from joining the club. That pressure is something that I put on my shoulders because I thrive on that. I like the pressure of feeling that I can make a big impact on something like that. So it’s to ensure the safety of the football club as soon as possible. But also remaining calm, not acting desperately, but just recognising what myself and we can do as a group, and what we need to do to not have all the good work that we’ve done so far this season undone.
And then the byproduct of me personally finishing the season strong, and finishing it in good form, could coincide with a World Cup shout. And I’m back in the conversation, which is all that I could have asked for at the start of the season. It was more about just getting back in the conversation and that would have been enough. But now that I’m in the conversation, I’m always someone that wants more and more. So, of course, I’d love to be involved.
What about your longer-term goals? What do you aspire to achieve?
Just to keep scoring goals and keep influencing football matches in the way that I know I can. I’ve rediscovered what it’s like to truly enjoy a football match this season. And now that I’ve got that feeling, I don’t want it to end. I want to keep playing and enjoying my football for as long as possible. And I know that when I enjoy playing, and I enjoy the hard work, that good things come from that. Long may it continue.