Leeds United player’s ears will prick up after Wayne Rooney mention
Wayne Rooney has named Dominic Calvert-Lewin as a potential option available to Thomas Tuchel for England.
Calvert-Lewin started on the bench in Leeds United’s 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest before the Premier League paused for the international break.
Before this, there were signs that Calvert-Lewin was better placed to start over Lukas Nmecha for the Whites.
However, after netting their only goal of the game, Nmecha has sent a clear message to Daniel Farke.
With Nmecha equalling Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League goal tally in just two starts this season, there is a growing feeling at Elland Road that the Leeds forward must pick up the pace.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a potential option for Thomas Tuchel
Calvert-Lewin received his first England call-up by Gareth Southgate on 1 October 2020 and netted in his maiden appearance in their 3-0 win over Wales.
He then scored a brace in a 5-0 win against San Marino back in March 2021.
- He has 11 senior caps for England
- Calvert-Lewin’s legacy number in 1254
- He has netted four goals for The Three Lions
His last outing for The Three Lions came in the 2020 Euros quarter-finals, where he came on as a substitute in their 4-0 victory over Ukraine.
The centre-forward failed to feature again for the national side, who were later defeated by Italy on penalties in the final.
It has been four years since since Calvert-Lewin was called up to represent his national team.
Despite this, Rooney, talking with Emile Heskey on The Wayne Rooney Show via YouTube on 14 November, has named him as an option available to Tuchel.
He said: “If you look at the forwards, there’s Ollie Watkins, there’s [Danny] Welbeck, Calvert-Lewin, Ivan Toney…”
There is no doubt that the striker will want to be named in England’s 2026 World Cup squad.
However, Farke’s tactics have made it difficult for Calvert-Lewin to shine at Elland Road, and with such a talented national squad, his participation seems likely at the moment.
Emile Heskey says England should look beyond Calvert-Lewin
The future does not look bright for Calvert-Lewin to represent England again.
Heskey made the point that Tuchel will be looking at his younger crop of players, who will be eager to prove themselves at the highest level.
He said: “The reality is you should be looking at your [Liam] Delaps and players like that. You should be looking at the younger players and saying, ‘Are you ready to make that leap into the first team?'”
There have been calls for Farke to make a tactical change at Leeds concerning Calvert-Lewin that would see the team built around him.
This could potentially see him net more goals and catapult him into the limelight, which wouldn’t escape the notice of Tuchel, who’s been spotted at numerous Premier League games this season.
But as it stands, with competition rife and the striker netting just one goal in the league so far, his chances of making it to the 2026 World Cup seem slim.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Leeds United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account –@motleedsnews