Leeds United star Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s five-year wait for an international return is over after a call-up for England’s March internationals.
The Whites striker hit red-hot form in November and Decemeber, scoring in six consecutive Premier League games. Calvert-Lewin has 10 goals from 27 top flight appearances this season but his all-round game has been vital for Leeds in their quest to stay above the drop zone. Talk of an England call up and even World Cup involvement grew in earnest during Calvert-Lewin’s goalscoring streak, yet what was just as important was his ability to prove his fitness and reliability. When Leeds signed the free agent in the summer following his departure from Everton, they were confident they could keep him on the pitch - as they did with other injury-impacted stars like Manor Solomon and Junior Firpo - and their efforts have not been in vain. Calvert-Lewin has played 2,031 minutes of Premier League action.
Calvert-Lewin has done enough to at least warrant a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the March internationals against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley. His involvement was reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein shortly before the official announcement.
Tuchel has named a 35-man squad for the camp. He explained: “We decided to divide it into basically two camps almost, so we bring players in that we haven’t seen who haven’t played so much to open up the picture, and the competition for plane tickets to the US.
“Then from Friday and Saturday, a group of players will come into camp – ten or eleven players who get a rest before and we will then go with a new group and mix of players into the match against Japan.”
Calvert-Lewin’s competition in the centre forward position includes England’s first-choice striker Harry Kane and Tottenham Hotspur’s Dominic Solanke.
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