Everton completed a real bargain signing when they brought Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the Premier League from Sheffield United.
Jermaine Jenas has hailed the improvements made by Dominic Calvert-Lewin this season, comparing the Everton striker to Tottenham Hotspur captain Harry Kane in an interview with the Mirror (26 March, page 46).
ABack in 2014/15, a young Englishman with a nose for goal came out of nowhere to establish himself as one of the Premier League’s most feared number nines almost overnight.
And given the way Calvert-Lewin has developed in recent months, particularly since Carlo Ancelotti took over at Goodison Park, the Everton youngster could be about to follow in Kane’s footsteps as he looks to reach the peak of the domestic and European game.
Strong, quick and blessed with a superb attitude on and off the pitch, the only thing missing from Calvert-Lewin’s game was goals.
But, with 15 in 32 games under his belt across 2019/20, it is fair to say he has turned that weakness into a strength in a way not too dissimilar to a fresh-faced Kane during the days when he was leading the line alongside Roberto Soldado in North London.
“What a breakthrough year,” Jenas, the former Spurs and England midfielder, says.
“He used to confuse me. He was like a kid in a sweet shop, sprinting around to impress every time he got on. (Now) he scores all sorts of goals. Everton have gone from looking for a new striker to knowing they have got something here to nurture.
“He reminds me of Harry Kane in his breakthrough year.”
The one-time Sheffield United youngster, who looks a brilliant piece of business now at £1.5 million, recently signed a new long-term contract until 2025 to ward off interest from some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.
Everton might now have a number nine for years to come; someone to finally fill a Romelu Lukaku-shaped void in the Toffees’ front line.
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