An in-form Everton star has laid bare his international ambition ahead of the European Championships in Germany this summer.
Everton’s excellent recent form will no doubt see several players get the nod for their respective countries in June.
Jordan Pickford is certain to start in goal for England, and there’s an outside chance of Jarrad Branthwaite joining the £30million man in Gareth Southgate’s squad.
Amadou Onana will also be in Germany after the Belgian midfielder impressed during the recent friendly against England at Wembley.
Vitaliy Mykolenko could feature for Ukraine, provided he recovers from the ankle injury he sustained during the 2-0 Merseyside Derby win over Liverpool.
Red-hot Dominic Calvert-Lewin makes bold England admission
Another player who has put forward a late claim for a spot in Southgate’s squad is Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The 27-year-old has netted four times in his last five matches, peaking at precisely the right time. Gary Neville, in Sky Sports commentary, lauded his performance during the Liverpool victory.
And speaking to Everton’s official website, the former Sheffield United man believes he should be in contention this summer.
He said: “Nobody puts more pressure on me than myself. It’s a good group, and they supported me through it. I always knew that I was going to score eventually. It was just a matter of time.
“That’s always my main goal, to play for my country – it’s the best feeling in the world. For now, I’m fit and healthy and scoring goals, and I’ll see where that takes me. I believe that on my day, I belong there.”
How does Dominic Calvert-Lewin compare to Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins?
Harry Kane will start up front for England; there’s no getting away from the fact that if Calvert-Lewin is selected, he will have to make do with a place on the bench.
Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins are the Everton striker’s main competition. When it comes to goals, Aston Villa’s main man is streets ahead. But, as proven in the recent friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, the 28-year-old isn’t best suited to England’s system.
Toney’s performance against Belgium was impressive. The Brentford star worked well with England’s midfield technicians and is perhaps more in the ‘Kane’ mould compared to Watkins.
And this is where Calvert-Lewin should come into the equation. Everton’s top scorer is a mixture of the pair. He’s a superb hold-up player, like Toney, but can also run in behind and stretch defences.
Selecting an in-form Calvert-Lewin as an impact option wouldn’t be a bad call from the England boss.
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