The 19-year-old has only enjoyed 11 minutes of Premier League action but what action.
“******* run about a bit” – legend has it these are the words of tactical wisdom bestowed onto Tottenham Hotspur striker Roman Pavlyuchenko by one Harry Redknapp during a Premier League game in 2008, according to the Guardian.
And while Everton boss Ronald Koeman may have used a more subtle phrasing when imparting some last minute instructions to young debutant Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it certainly had the desired effect.
Everton were drawing 1-1 with Arsenal when the Sheffield-born striker was brought on with 11 minutes to go at Goodison Park on Tuesday night. When he sauntered off at full-time, they had only their second win in 11 league games.
Calvert-Lewin, the immensely talented 19-year-old signed from Sheffield United in the summer, played a huge part in the winner, occupying The Gunners’ centre-halves as Ashley Williams steamed in to send Toffees fans into uproar.
And the forward, who had spent the entirety of the campaign making his name for the club’s under-23s, says Koeman asked him to do exactly that; annoy, frustrate, hassle and harry to secure a much-needed win.
“[Koeman’s instructions were] just work hard. Obviously we were trying to get the three points and thankfully we did,” Calvert-Lewin told Everton’s official Twitter account. “Get the ball back, defend, attack, the works really.”
It was hardly a detailed technical breakdown from a man steeped in Total Voetball tradition, but Koeman his pep-talk sharp, simple and effective. It worked, too.
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