Duncan Ferguson, Bob Latchford, Graeme Sharp, Joe Royle, Tommy Lawton, and Dixie Dean have all worn the famous number 9 shirt for Everton, making it a number the fans hold in high regard.
Whoever wears this particular number is expected to score goals and lead the team from the front, so when Dominic Calvert-Lewin was handed the famous jersey, some thought they would have another Arouna Kone or Sandro Ramirez on their hands.
Not many Everton fans will have known the name Dominic Calvert-Lewin before his transfer to the Toffees from Sheffield United in 2016. The young English striker cost a mere £1.5m and was a raw talent that clearly needed top coaching to unlock his true potential.
DCL only featured 11 times in his first season with Everton, netting one goal against Hull City. The following season DCL scored 4-goals in the Premier League and 4-goals in the cups and netted 8-goals in his third season. At this point, some Everton fans questioned the youngster’s ability to play in the top-flight of English football. A section of fans felt he hadn’t developed enough during his first 3-years at the club.
However, under Duncan Ferguson and then Carlo Ancelotti, things just seemed to click for the Sheffield lad. The 2019/20 campaign saw DCL hit double figures for the first time in the Premier League, and along with a couple of cup goals, he finished the season on 15-goals. DCL’s form suffered on the return to football following the pandemic, but the 23-year old has started this season on fire.
Everton have secured wins in their opening six league and cup games this season and are through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup. DCL has been instrumental in this excellent run of form, scoring 8-goals in five appearances so far. In the Toffee’s first home game of the season against West Brom, DCL scored his first hat-trick and then followed it up with another hat-trick in the next game against West Ham in the cup.
After those fantastic displays, DCL earned his first call-up to the England senior squad. England manager Gareth Southgate said that DCL was a forward he and his team had been watching for a while.
If DCL can avoid injury and maintain decent form, then he will surely go on to score 20+ goals this season. Everton haven’t had a striker capable of scoring that number of goals since Lukaku. The Belgian striker score 20-goals or more in three consecutive seasons for the Toffees, and since his departure Everton have struggled to fill the void up-front.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still only 23-years old and is still rough around the edges but is quickly developing into one of England’s top strikers. Under the guidance of an established manager like Ancelotti, DCL could prove to be the key to Everton making their return to European football this season.
The future looks bright for the Toffees in all departments, and if DCL continues to develop as he has done, then maybe Everton will finally end their 25-year chase for silverware.