Dominic Calvert-Lewin has opened up on the 'most difficult 12 months' of his career and hit back at claims he isn’t interested in football.
Everton supporters have seen very little of the goalscoring number nine over the past 15 months. After netting 21 goals in all competitions during the 2020/21 season, Calvert-Lewin spent four months out between September and December last term with a quadriceps injury before returning to fitness.
However, another injury was then picked up following the arrival of Frank Lampard in January. But the England international delivered when his side needed him most, scoring the goal that secured Everton’s top-flight status as he headed home the winner in their 3-2 comeback victory over Crystal Palace in their final home game of last season.
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But with a full pre-season under his belt, which included a goal at Goodison Park against Dynamo Kyiv, the forward looked ready and raring to go. Rarely, however, is anything that straightforward at Everton.
Just days ahead of his side’s opening game of the season against Chelsea, the Blues were rocked by the news that Calvert-Lewin would be out for a number of weeks with a knee injury. His absence deepened Everton’s attacking problems.
But having returned off the bench against Manchester United at the start of the month, Calvert-Lewin has now started his side’s last two games, and he was back amongst the goals on Saturday as the Blues claimed a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Calver-Lewin was also involved in Anthony Gordon's goal, Everton's second of the afternoon, as he reminded his side and England of his class.
“It has been very tough, the most difficult 12 months of my career so far, because I am a football player and all I want to do is play football so when you get that taken away from you, I appreciate there are much worse things going on in the world, but that is my experience of what I do,” he replied when asked about his spell on the sidelines.
“I play football so to not be able to do that, to be sidelined and then come back and be sidelined again it has been very very frustrating.
“The key has been to keep believing in myself and keep remembering those good moments of when I am going to be stepping out at Goodison Park and scoring goals.
“Today was a massive bonus and relief you could say. I pat myself on the back because if I ever stopped believing I might not have been able to do that today.”
A day on from last season ending, the former Sheffield United man shared a message on his Instagram page, in which he revealed some off-field issues he has had to contend with throughout the course of the campaign.
One of the allegations thrown at the England international in recent months was that he wasn’t interested in football as he spent time on the sidelines. Responding to those claims, Calvert-Lewin fired back and stated he actually lives and breathes the game.
He said: “Social media is what it is and it's a platform for people to share their opinions freely. For me, football is my life; it's what I've given everything to.
“I live and breathe football and I think about it every minute of every day. I think about how I can get better, how I can score goals and how I can improve.”
Expanding further, Calvert-Lewin also explained why he has no option but to block the claims out and do his talking on the pitch.
“You have to,” he replied when asked if he ignores the claims thrown at him. “It's a defence mechanism because if you allow what people say to affect you too much then it can take away from your performances.
“I would say a strength of mine is my mentality and my belief in myself. Football is my everything so I know what I'm capable of on the pitch and that's the most important thing.”
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