‘I wouldn’t shy away from playing Leeds star over England hero at World Cup after what I saw vs Brentford’
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has started to steal all the headlines at Leeds United.
Although the 28-year-old’s start to life at Elland Road was slow, the former Everton striker now scored in each of his last four Premier League appearances for the Whites, who’ve picked up five points out of the last nine available to move themselves three points clear of the relegation zone.
Calvert-Lewin’s improved form has been vital to Leeds’ resurgence, with the centre-forward also easing pressure on manager Daniel Farke.
In his latest outing, Calvert-Lewin bagged an equaliser for Leeds in their 1-1 draw with Brentford.
Due to how high he jumped to win his goalscoring header, Jamie Redknapp compared Calvert-Lewin to basketball legend Michael Jordan on Sky Sports after the game.
But the praise didn’t stop there for the Sheffield-born target man.
Theo Walcott tips Dominic Calvert-Lewin for 2026 World Cup spot
England are heading to North America next summer for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Thomas Tuchel‘s men enjoyed a perfect qualifying campaign and have been put in a group alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
Although a lot of England’s goalscoring hopes will be placed upon Harry Kane, former Arsenal star Theo Walcott believes Calvert-Lewin can offer a secondary option up front for Tuchel, should the Bayern Munich striker’s form dip in the competition.
Calvert-Lewin’s England record:
- Caps: 11
- Goals: 4
- Goals were scored versus Wales, Ireland and San Marino (x2)
- Calvert-Lewin has never completed 90 minutes for the Three Lions
- His last cap came in Euro 2020 as a substitute in the quarter-final win over Ukraine (June 2021)
“He just needs to stay fit,” Walcott said on Match of the Day on Sunday night.
“If he can stay fit and look after himself, he’s matured as a player and a person; that’s the best opportunity they’re going to get to stay in this league.
“It’s brilliant he’s scoring against the top teams, but it’s the teams around them where it’s really going to [matter].
“This is where I love playing with him, put it into a space, don’t overthink it. It’s that stature up front.
“It’s another England have if no one else is performing well like Harry Kane. I wouldn’t shy away from it at all because he’s brilliant if he can stay fit.”
Calvert-Lewin’s injury problems assessed
Touch wood, it’s been so far so good for Calvert-Lewin at Leeds, in terms of his fitness.
Although he missed the first two games of the season due to a lack of match sharpness, he’s played in every game since in both the Premier League and the Carabao Cup.
He now has four goals in his last four games and in his last two outings, against Liverpool and Brentford, he’s completed a full 90 minutes.
| Season | Injury | Days out | Games missed |
| 24-25 | Hamstring injury | 100 | 14 |
| 24-25 | Ankle injury | 10 | 1 |
| 23-24 | Ill | 7 | 1 |
| 23-24 | Broken cheekbone | 26 | 4 |
At this time of year, for a player with his injury record, that’s really good because the games are coming thick and fast at the moment.
Farke will have to manage his game time carefully because Calvert-Lewin missed 15 games for Everton last season with hamstring and ankle injuries
With the form he’s in and the lack of alternative options up front, Leeds can’t afford for him to regress and suffer a new issue.
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