Everton striker can emulate predecessor’s progress

Dominic Calvert-Lewin played his first competitive game for England last night as the Three Lions beat Belgium 2-1 at Wembley.

Calvert-Lewin started for England and he faced his predecessor as the Everton centre-forward in Belgium’s Lukaku, who left Goodison Park to join Manchester United in 2017 for a club record fee of £75 million.

In truth, looking at this match, England were a little lucky to get the points last night after a dubious penalty was converted by Marcus Rashford and then Mason Mount’s long shot took a big deflection for what turned out to be the winner. Having said that they did have several good chances later on to add further goals.

Belgium were in control for long periods, especially in the first half and the Everton striker didn’t have a huge impact on the game, struggling a little to get involved and was replaced in the second half by Tottenham’s Harry Kane.

Ironically Kane then missed a sitter of a header to make it 3-1, a chance which I have a feeling given his current hot streak, Calvert-Lewin might actually have taken.

Belgium’s Lukaku was one of the best players on the pitch and proved a constant threat to England’s defenders with his pace, power and clever running.

He has made big strides since he was signed for Everton by Roberto Martinez, – his current national team manager – back in 2014 and despite an unsuccessful sojourn at Manchester United, has become one of the top forwards in world football.

When he joined the Blues at first on loan from Chelsea in 2013, he was a big, strapping young striker but still perhaps a bit raw around the edges.

Although he’d done pretty well, making his loan deal permanent a year later and for a then club record fee, was a big statement of faith by the Toffees boss.

As we know Lukaku did develop his game and became integral to the Blues play over the next few seasons under first Martinez and his successor Ronald Koeman. But by 2017, he felt the club weren’t ambitious enough for him and wanted a move away.

He had turned into a genuine high-quality goalscorer, ending what was ultimately to be his last season at Goodison Park, 2016-17 with 25 league goals, a club record in the Premier League.

Then as Lukaku left Everton, Calvert-Lewin was just beginning his journey. That same year he was scoring the winning goal for the England’s Under-20’s in their World Cup final against Venezula.

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In a way Calvert-Lewin is not a dissimilar sort of player. Like the Belgian he’s a big young forward with all the physical tools, the pace and power, but needing to develop his awareness and become a consistently clinical finisher in the penalty area.

They are not exactly alike of course. Calvert-Lewin is much better in the air than Lukaku and more suited to playing as an orthodox number nine.

Lukaku, is a threat in the air, but despite his size and strength, preferred the ball played into his feet and a more counter-attacking game, which was the style particularly under Koeman.

The path of progress that Lukaku took from unpolished teenage forward to world class goalscorer via Goodison Park and Everton does have something Calvert-Lewin can learn from and seek to emulate in his own journey.

Let’s hope he can continue to develop and realise his full potential too, although still wearing a royal blue shirt when he does!