Months after leaving Everton, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has opened up about how he feels about the decision as the team continues to struggle in front of goal.
Everton brought in Thierno Barry during the summer, but it quickly became clear that the young forward would need time to develop before making a real impact. In the meantime, David Moyes has had to rely heavily on Iliman Ndiaye to carry much of the attacking load again this season.
Ndiaye’s upcoming departure for AFCON next month will only add more pressure on an already stretched attack. Everton News understands that plans are already underway to bring in another striker when the January window opens.
Calvert-Lewin is now at Brentford and has spoken about how he’s adjusting to life away from Merseyside.
How Dominic Calvert-Lewin is finding life at Brentford
Since moving to west London, Calvert-Lewin has appeared 14 times for Thomas Frank’s side and scored three goals.
He spoke about his new club earlier this week, saying: “It does have that family feel. You walk around here every day and you feel valued and supported. That’s big for me.”
The striker was never a guaranteed starter during his later years with Everton due to recurring injury problems, something Sean Dyche often had to work around last season.
Cameron Archer seemed ready-made for a bigger role at Brentford after a decent spell with Aston Villa last year and could give Frank another option if injuries come up again.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin shares clear Everton message after Leeds United move
Wayne Rooney has praised Calvert-Lewin following his departure from the Blues to join fellow Premier League outfit Leeds.
The forward had a long run at Everton, making 273 appearances even with the injury problems he faced during his time there.
Calvert-Lewin spoke openly about leaving Merseyside in an interview on the One on One podcast, saying it felt like the right moment to make a change.
He said: “Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, it’s been a breath of fresh air to come into a new environment. I think, you know, nine years is a long time to be anywhere,” said the 28-year-old.
The 28-year-old added: “And I think I got to a point where I was just craving a new challenge and a fresh environment and absolutely, yeah, happy to be here.”
Carlo Ancelotti was reportedly fond of Calvert-Lewin during his spell in charge at Everton but keeping fit has always been an obstacle for him throughout his career. The switch hasn’t made much of an impact on Everton’s goal tally either.
Calvert-Lewin is also struggling for goals at Leeds
Moyes wanted two strikers brought in over the summer following Calvert-Lewin’s exit and has since seen Thierno Barry arrive from Reims and Iliman Ndiaye join from Marseille.
This is just another reason why heading into January that they will likely need to make additions if they want to fix their struggles in front of goal this season.
Ndiaye leads with three league goals while Dani Olmo has found the back of the net twice this season but has struggled due to injuries. The search for goals on Merseyside isn’t likely going away anytime soon.
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