Lewis Dobbin was a bright spark for Everton in their pre-season friendly against Bolton.
There wasn’t a huge amount for Sean Dyche to get excited about last night, as Everton were held to a 0-0 draw by Bolton Wanderers in a pre-season friendly. However, Lewis Dobbin’s performance will have given the manager food for thought.
As Neal Maupay once again couldn’t produce a cutting edge in the final third, Dobbin looked far more likely to provide a breakthrough. Ultimately, the young striker was unable to break the deadlock, and he’ll be rueing one particular chance from the first half that he passed up. However, Dyche will have been impressed by Dobbin’s movement. The 20-year-old made good runs, and constantly tested the Bolton defence in his time on the pitch.
With the club still battling to bring El Bilal Toure to Goodison Park, the need for a striker is clearly on Dyche’s mind. Whilst it’d be unreasonable to expect Dobbin to fire the Toffees to safety next season, he could certainly provide an interesting option from the bench.
With Maupay misfiring, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury record a constant concern, Dobbin deserves another chance to prove his worth in the Premier League.
Dobbin ready to impress Everton boss again
The England under-19 international has featured for Everton in the top flight before. He was handed his debut off the bench by then-manager Rafa Benitez in September 2021. After his debut against Norwich, Dobbin made four further appearances across all competitions that season.
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Benitez was clear that Dobbin had earned his opportunity in training. The Spanish coach said, “he’s someone that, when he’s training with us, he shows the desire and commitment. These players have to be seen…Dobbin is someone that you notice he’s there when he’s training,” as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.
Dobbin spent last season on loan with Derby County in League One. Whilst he only managed 5 goals, the experience he will have gained from his 54 outings for the club will be of huge benefit to him. Now, he has the chance to impress in training for Everton again, this time under Dyche’s gaze. His performance against Bolton certainly suggests he is on the right track.