Dominic Calvert-Lewin pinpoints one reason behind Leeds United form with 'grateful' Elland Road admission
The Leeds United striker scored his 14th Premier League goal of the season against Brighton on Sunday.
‘Grateful’ Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin admits he’s back enjoying football as a brilliant debut campaign at Elland Road comes to an end.
Calvert-Lewin gave the Leeds home crowd one final chance to celebrate with his 95th-minute winner against Brighton on Sunday. The striker pounced on a short Jan Paul van Hecke back-pass before rounding goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and rolling into an empty net.
That was Premier League goal number 14 for the season, his best return since 2020/21 and the second-highest tally of his entire career. And the 29-year-old has put his impressive form down to enjoying the game again.
"That's the life of a striker,” he told Match of the Day. “Sometimes you have to wait a while to get your chance but you’ve always got to be tuned in and thankfully I was today. You know if you get one chance you can score.
"I've loved it [this season]. It's been so enjoyable. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity here and to be able to enjoy my football again. I’m at my best when I’m enjoying what I do.”
Calvert-Lewin scored with Leeds’ only real chance but that was all he needed, thanks in part to a mammoth performance from his defensive teammates. For a side with nothing to play for, they fought tooth and nail to keep a dangerous Brighton attack at arm’s length.
Jaka Bijol, Joe Rodon and Sebastiaan Bornauw got in front of plenty, with Karl Darlow also in top form to keep out anything that got through. There were plenty of beach balls inside Elland Road but no one in white was looking towards the summer.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin on Leeds United culture and England hope
“The culture at the club is the most important thing,” Calvert-Lewin said. “It really is the heartbeat of the club. The characters we have got, hard working boys in the team."
Leeds travel to West Ham for their final game of the season on Sunday, by which point their hosts will either already be relegated or needing snookers to survive. That will remain the focus but Calvert-Lewin might be afforded some time to look ahead on Friday.
Thomas Tuchel is due to name his England World Cup squad ahead of the final top-flight fixtures and having made the previous group, the Leeds frontman is one of three or four potential Harry Kane back-ups. Sunday’s goal made him the joint-highest scoring Englishman in the Premier League alongside Ollie Watkins and Morgan Gibbs-White.
A run of three in his last three will also do no harm. Quizzed on those World Cup hopes, Calvert-Lewin added: "Let's see. It's going to be busy anyway, I've got a two-and-a-half-year-old."