Ian Wright and Joe Cole have urged Frank Lampard to ‘protect’ Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as they told ITV Sport.
After scoring three goals in the first three Premier League games of the campaign, Calvert-Lewin has been hit with injuries that have hurt him and his club’s form.
The 25-year-old has only managed ten league games in total, all stop-start and, as a result of his form going out of the window, so have the Toffees crumbled.
Everton are heading towards a very rare relegation at the rate they are going, but Calvert-Lewin’s goals can halt that demise.
Both Cole and Wright pointed out that a lack of minutes on the pitch is hurting the hard-hitting striker, but they made it clear that he is still a ‘threat’.
“He needs a run of games,” said Cole. “I watched this kid, this time last year, win a ball and get on the end of his own flick on and score a goal.
“That’s when his body was feeling good and he was flowing. His career since then has been stop-start. But he’s a threat. They need to get into the box for him.”
Wright added: “They need to get the ball into the box for him, but at the same time, he needs to get a consistent run of games going.
“The way he plays. Get the ball into him, so he can get a run of games, get the goals and get going again.
“Frank (Lampard) has to protect this guy. If they are to stay up Everton, then he has to do it for him.”
Tottenham striker Harry Kane is the main man up top for England and has been for a number of years.
Regarding who is next in the pecking order is up for debate, with Tammy Abraham and Ollie Watkins the two players currently selected by Gareth Southgate.
Calvert-Lewin could argue that if he is fit and firing, like Abraham is doing at Roma, then he is next in line to Kane.
Either way, he is way too important to be missing more games of the season because, with such little time left, Everton might just go down without him.
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