Holgate full of praise for Everton teammate Calvert-Lewin
Everton defender Mason Holgate has showered praise on teammate Dominic Calvert-Lewin, labelling him a ‘great striker’.
The 23-year old forward has been in fine goalscoring form for Everton this season, having scored 19 goals in all competitions for the Toffees.
Calvert-Lewin’s impressive domestic displays earned him his first England call-up in October, where the former Sheffield United man would score on his debut.
Calvert-Lewin wasn’t performing at his best in Everton’s recent game against Crystal Palace however, with both Richarlison and the England man missing a number of chances as the Blues drew 1-1.
Talking to Sky Sports, Calvert-Lewin’s teammate Holgate was full of praise for the young forward, expressing his delight that he is finally receiving the recognition he deserves.
Holgate said: “I’ve known Dom since I was seven, obviously he played for Sheffield United and I played for Barnsley, so we always used to play against each other coming through.
“To see him go on and play for England and score for England is great. He’s not there by luck, it’s not like he’s just had a run of a few lucky goals, he’s consistently scoring.
“He’s added that to his game and the other parts have always really been there. He works hard, he’s a big threat, he’s fast, he’s strong, can jump, he’s always had that side.
“But now he’s added a lot more goals into his game and people are starting to notice the other sides that he’s always done. They might not have noticed before so it looks like he’s become a completely different kind of player but he’s always really been that, he’s just not had the goals for people to stand up and pay attention, and now he’s getting that.
“I’m buzzing for him that he’s getting recognised for being a great striker, and so he should do because he is one.
Deserved acclaim
Calvert-Lewin’s goalscoring run has dried up slightly over the past couple of months but that shouldn’t take anything away from how much he has developed as a player this season.
Holgate claims that Calvert-Lewin has always possessed the attributes to succeed but he truly hadn’t shown off just how lethal he could be until Carlo Ancelotti took charge last season, and he’s only got better this campaign.
Admittedly the forward is far from the finished article, and if the game against Palace proved anything it was that Calvert-Lewin still needs to be more decisive when in front of goal. However all the positives are there and evident for all to see.
Modestly valued at around £40.5million by Transfermarkt, Calvert-Lewin’s form has naturally led to speculation that he could leave Everton in the summer, something the Toffees obviously don’t want to happen. However at the very least the discussions do demonstrate the measure of the player’s impact on Merseyside this season.
Here’s hoping he can continue to perform over the final nine Premier League games as Everton go in search of Europe.
In other Everton news, Everton want to sign £25.9m-rated star that Champions League manager called the ‘complete player’.
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