Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been speaking ahead of coming up against his old club as Everton prepare to host Leeds United at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Image: (Matt McNulty/Getty Images))
Dominic Calvert-Lewin admits it will be ‘strange’ coming up against Everton tomorrow night – but he plans to save the pleasantries until after the game. Calvert-Lewin, who joined Everton from Sheffield United in 2016, left the club in the summer following the expiry of his contract.
Injuries blighted his final few years at the Blues, as he missed 529 days with a variety of problems since the start of the 2021/22 campaign. After leaving Everton, the forward attracted interest from Fiorentina and Sunderland before joining Leeds in the middle of August.
The England international has gone on to impress at Elland Road and, as well as scoring nine times so far this season, was named Premier League player of the month for December. And after failing to make an appearance for the Blues at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Calvert-Lewin is looking forward to playing at his old club’s new home after watching it be built.
READ MORE: Numbers prove James Garner’s dramatic rise as David Moyes sets challenge after new Everton dealREAD MORE: Everton supporters need to be ‘horrible’ again to get home comforts at Hill Dickinson Stadium
He said: “It will be a strange feeling, you know, having been there for so long and then going up against them and familiar faces that I played with for a long time.
“But for me, it is just another game. It is another opportunity for me to keep thriving, to keep my good run of form going. I would love to score in every game.
“It will be a difficult away game, Monday night away at the new stadium, which I saw get built for a long period of time. So, it will be nice to play there and I am looking forward to it.
“I imagine not many people have changed in seven months, so it will be nice to obviously see familiar faces, but I will be greeting them after the game, not before.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates after scoring for Everton against Tottenham Hotspur last season(Image: )
“The aim is to keep winning games, to keep picking up points and collectively just build on the momentum that we built in December. I think it was very frustrating to not come away with at least a point away at Newcastle.
“So, we had to pick ourselves up from that, learn from that and learn fast, as you have to do in the Premier League and just stay consistent, stay balanced, not get too high, not get too low.”
While Daniel Farke has praised David Moyes and believes Leeds United should aspire to be like Everton. The Whites make their first-ever trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium tomorrow night looking to build on last weekend’s last-gasp win over Fulham.
Lukas Nmecha came off the bench to score a 91st-minute winner against Marco Silva’s side, helping his side to bounce back from their previous defeat to Newcastle United. Everton were beaten 1-0 by Leeds in their first game of the season back in August, but Farke knows his side are in for a stern test on Merseyside.
Royal Blue newsletter – subscribe now
The Royal Blue podcast logo(Image: )
The Liverpool ECHO has launched the Royal Blue newsletter – the latest way to get the inside track on the Blues.
Created by Everton correspondent Joe Thomas, it will provide in-depth insight on the major talking points – on and off the pitch – through an exciting, historic period for the club as the first team moves to the Hill Dickinson Stadium and Everton Women enter Goodison Park.
The idea is to step away from the treadmill of press conferences and player ratings and instead offer a glimpse behind the scenes at the club – and on Joe’s travels up and down the country following Everton.
Royal Blue is delivered to your inbox every Wednesday and completely free.
To take a look and subscribe, check it out here
He said: “Absolutely (Leeds should aspire to be like Everton). It will be a very difficult task for us.
“As the manager of Leeds United, I don’t like to praise the other clubs that much, but it is, of course, a club of huge potential.
“They have quality players, very ambitious signings, a new stadium. David Moyes is doing a fantastic job. His teams always have a really good team spirit, togetherness.
“His teams always set up very compact against the ball. It is never easy to open one of David’s teams and create chances.
“They are always competitive, have impressive results against the top teams. I expect a very difficult game for us, we have to be at our very best.
Who should replace Jack Grealish?
Content cannot be displayed without consent
“We need a complex performance again. When there is a chance to win points, we want to go for it.
“We have proven that we can beat any side in this league. Each and every good result makes our belief stronger.
“We are on a good path, already on 25 points. Nothing is achieved yet, but we have a chance definitely to achieve our goals this season and stay in this league.
“All our focus is on earning the right to stay in this league. We have to keep going and win many more points.”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
£49
£35
Sky
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.