Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Leeds striker eyes England return

After almost a decade at Everton, the change of scenery has clearly done Calvert-Lewin the world of good.

With nine Premier League goals he has outscored big-money arrivals like Hugo Ekitike, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.

“I just felt like I needed a fresh start,” he said.

“I think that I’d gone from a 19-year-old boy to a 28-year-old man and deep down a fresh start is what I felt like I needed.

“So obviously when communication started with Leeds, I felt that this was the place for me to come in and thrive and get back to my best level.”

Key for Calvert-Lewin has been the faith Farke has shown in him.

The German coach said recently that he had always been a big fan of Calvert-Lewin and would always sign him if the opportunity presented itself.

“I had a phone call with him one or two days before I signed and he spoke for maybe 30 minutes,” Calvert-Lewin said of his first conversation with Farke.

“I was just listening and his personality came through. I could tell that he was a caring person and he cared about his players, and he was just emphasising how he wanted to get me back to my best level.

“That relationship’s just grown and grown and grown.

“You know he has a human side, which I think that then gets the players to be more attentive to the messaging and ultimately makes us play better.”

Calvert-Lewin added: “The thing about players needing an arm around them – some players need shouting out to get the best out of them, I’m a player that needs a bit of both.

“Where I was at in my career six months ago, he’s the type of manager that I needed.”