Dominic Calvert-Lewin played with some huge names at Everton.
The England international shared a dressing room with the likes of Wayne Rooney and James Rodriguez during his time at Goodison Park, not to mention having Carlo Ancelotti as his manager for two of his nine years at Everton.
However, Dominic Calvert-Lewin overlooked these stellar names when telling The Athletic who inspired him most on Merseyside, instead labelling James Tarkowski and Seamus Coleman as the most influential.
Get your guesses in! Ask for a clue if needed 👀
Dominic Calvert-Lewin says he looked up to James Tarkowski and Seamus Coleman at Everton
In a new interview with The Athletic, the Leeds United No.9 touched on his nine years at Everton, labelling the England international and the Republic of Ireland international as two players he viewed to be role models.
Calvert-Lewin, who left Everton for a new challenge, said: “When I joined Leeds, I knew it was a relatively young squad. At Everton I had players like Seamus Coleman and James Tarkowski to look up to. At Leeds I realised I might be the one younger players would look towards.”
Fortunately, the pair are still at Everton, where they are presumably acting as inspirations for youngsters like Tyler Dibling and Merlin Rohl – but that may soon change.
Coleman’s contract expires at the end of the season, and it remains to be seen whether the Irishman will be offered an extension at the age of 37.
With regard to Tarkowski, the Everton No.6 seems safe for now with a contract running until July 2028 – but we doubt an extension will be offered once that date arrives considering he turns 34 in November.
The Friedkin Group have largely targeted young players in the transfer market since replacing Farhad Moshiri, such as the aforementioned Dibling and Rohl along with Thierno Barry and Adam Aznou.
What kind of reception does Calvert-Lewin deserve on his Everton return? 🫣
That is all well and good to future-proof Everton, but older, experienced players must still be considered to act as leaders within the pack, even more so after what Calvert-Lewin has now said.
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