Latest news with #DominicCalvert-Lewin
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Health
- Wales Online
Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin left crying on bedroom floor at moment he 'hit rock bottom'
Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin left crying on bedroom floor at moment he 'hit rock bottom' Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the crucial goal that kept Everton in the Premier League in 2022, and he has opened up on the emotional toll that season took on him amid regular injury struggles Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin has opened up about his mental health struggles while battling injuries over the years (Image: Getty Images ) Dominic Calvert-Lewin has openly discussed his struggles with injury and the immense pressure he felt at Everton during the club's recent tribulations. The forward even revealed how he found himself in tears on his bedroom floor on his birthday during the final stages of the 2021/22 season, as he yearned to beat his injury struggles and contribute for his club. He bounced back from those challenges to net the goal that ensured Everton's Premier League survival. His diving header in May 2022 clinched a remarkable comeback victory over Crystal Palace in the penultimate match of the campaign and secured the Toffees' future in the top flight. The season had started positively for Calvert-Lewin, with the striker finding the back of the net in the first three league matches and earning a call-up to the England squad. However, this form came with a price as he soldiered on through the discomfort of a broken toe. Reflecting on that period on the High Performance Podcast, he recalled having to withdraw from international duty as he tried to adjust to his injury. And it was then he developed the first of several quadriceps issues that have since plagued him. Despite the difficulties, he played a pivotal role in Everton's fight for Premier League survival, notably assisting Alex Iwobi for a crucial stoppage-time goal against Newcastle United and scoring a vital opener against Brentford. However, it was his dramatic diving header against Crystal Palace that truly turned the tide as Everton secured their place in the league. Article continues below "That feeling, I'll never be able to describe it," he said. "It was the weight of my own pressure, the football club. I am quite an emotional person so I put that responsibility on my shoulders. I thought, 'It's my responsibility to save everybody, save people's jobs.' Calvert-Lewin has finally managed consistent minutes over the past two campaigns after several injury-ravaged seasons (Image: Getty Images ) "So when I scored that goal it was a relief. The biggest relief ever. On my birthday, which would have been four, five weeks before I scored that goal, that was a low point for me. I can't remember why, I think it was built-up emotion, I ended up crying. "I was on my own on my birthday, crying on my bedroom floor for whatever reason, feeling a little bit sorry for myself. I think it was not knowing how to express what I was feeling in that moment, that feeling things were getting away from me, feeling you have all the pressure of the football club on your shoulders, and you just want to go out there and play. "And at that moment I couldn't play because I had picked up another injury and it was overwhelming. But I remember thinking to myself, 'This is a rock bottom moment.' In my mind I was thinking, 'It doesn't get worse than this, you need to pick yourself up and go again.' Content cannot be displayed without consent "So that was a catalyst for me because I felt better after I cried. I let out that emotion, all that pressure I had put on myself, and thought, 'I am going to save Everton Football Club.' I ended up scoring the winning goal." The Sheffield-born star also spoke of opening up about his emotional struggle when that season ended, taking to Instagram to write how talking had saved his life, reports the Liverpool Echo. He told podcast host Jake Humphrey he meant to write that talking had changed his life, and the attention of the media that followed created another layer of pressure for him to deal with. The 28-year-old emphasised the importance of his message and elaborated: "Hindsight is a beautiful thing. What I actually did was almost put more pressure on me, because I put myself in the spotlight for a non-footballing reason... we all have problems and that is what I was trying to portray." Attempting to recreate the moment his header found the back of the net against Palace, he continued: "I've never heard a stadium erupt like that in my life. I remember the ball coming in. I remember heading the ball. I remember feeling like I had lost sight of the ball. Looking back up. And it had just gone past the keeper. It was his goal against Crystal Palace that kept Everton in the top flight three years ago (Image:) "And it was like [tries to replicate the crowd noise], it was like a noise that was almost still. It was that loud it was silent, if that makes sense. Everything just faded out and I remember just wheeling off, running, I don't know what I was doing... it was the most euphoric thing I have ever felt playing football." Article continues below Despite ongoing injury issues hampering Calvert-Lewin's career, he has managed to produce pivotal moments to aid Everton in their fight against relegation in the subsequent two seasons. His penalty at Leicester City proved crucial in the final month of the next season, which concluded with Abdoulaye Doucoure ensuring survival on the last day of that campaign. Last year, his courageous last-minute penalty secured an essential draw at Newcastle. That acted as the stage for a revival in which he netted a decisive goal against Burnley and the second in a 2-0 Merseyside derby victory that virtually eliminated relegation worries. He was absent for a significant portion of this season, scoring just three goals in 26 Premier League outings. And the future now looks uncertain for the nine-year Everton veteran as his contract is due to expire at the end of this month.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin emotionally recalls 'crying on bedroom floor'
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has spoken about the pressure he placed on himself to bring success to Everton, as a series of injuries rendered him almost helpless in a Premier League relegation battle Dominic Calvert-Lewin has recalled shedding tears on his bedroom floor on his birthday, as Everton's struggles in the 2020/21 season got to him while he was hindered by injury. While he bounced back to net the goal that eventually ensured Everton's Premier League survival, the centre-forward opened up about the emotional toil that being sidelined had on him. The season had started positively for Calvert-Lewin, with the striker finding the net in the first three league matches and earning a call-up to the England squad. However, this form came with a price as he soldiered on despite a broken toe. Reflecting on this period on the High Performance Podcast, he remembered having to withdraw from the international squad and, while trying to adjust for his injury, developed the first of several quadriceps issues that have since plagued him. Calvert-Lewin also opened up about his challenging season, marred by injuries and managerial changes, from Rafa Benitez to Frank Lampard's rescue mission. Despite the setbacks, the 28-year-old played a pivotal role in the campaign, notably with his decisive diving header from Demarai Gray's free-kick against Crystal Palace that truly turned the tide for the club and saved them from relegation, igniting ecstatic celebrations at Goodison Park. Reflecting on the overwhelming emotions of that moment, Calvert-Lewin said: "That feeling, I'll never be able to describe it. It was the weight of my own pressure, the football club. "I am quite an emotional person so I put that responsibility on my shoulders. I thought, 'It's my responsibility to save everybody, save people's jobs.' So when I scored that goal it was a relief. The biggest relief ever. "On my birthday, which would have been 4/5 weeks before I scored that goal, that was a low point for me. I can't remember why, I think it was built-up emotion, I ended up crying. I was on my own on my birthday, crying on my bedroom floor for whatever reason, feeling a little bit sorry for myself. "I think it was not knowing how to express what I was feeling in that moment, that feeling things were getting away from me, feeling you have all the pressure of the football club on your shoulders and you just want to go out there and play. "And at that moment I couldn't play because I had picked up another injury and it was overwhelming. But I remember thinking to myself, 'This is a rock bottom moment.' In my mind I was thinking it doesn't get worse than this, you need to pick yourself up and go again. "So that was a catalyst for me because I felt better after I cried. I let out that emotion, all that pressure I had put on myself, and thought I am going to save Everton Football Club. I ended up scoring the winning goal." Calvert-Lewin also shared his emotional journey on social media, telling podcast host Jake Humphrey about the unintended consequences it had. He had meant to write that talking had changed his life, but the message was misinterpreted, leading to increased media scrutiny and additional pressure. The striker emphasised the significance of his message, that people can triumph over their hardships, wrote on his Instagram: "Hindsight is a beautiful thing. What I actually did was almost put more pressure on me because I put myself in the spotlight for a non-footballing reason... we all have problems and that is what I was trying to portray." Recounting the unforgettable moment his header found the net, he added: "I've never heard a stadium erupt like that in my life. I remember the ball coming in. I remember heading the ball. I remember feeling like I had lost sight of the ball. Looking back up. And it had just gone past the keeper. "And it was like [tries to replicate the crowd noise], it was like a noise that was almost still. It was that loud it was silent, if that makes sense. Everything just faded out and I remember just wheeling off, running, I don't know what I was doing... it was the most euphoric thing I have ever felt playing football." Despite ongoing injury woes, Calvert-Lewin has delivered crucial moments to ensure Everton's Premier League survival in recent years, including a pivotal penalty at Leicester City and Abdoulaye Doucoure's last-day heroics to avoid relegation the following season. Last year, his courageous last-minute penalty secured a draw at Newcastle, setting the stage for a revival in which he netted the decisive goal against Burnley and the second in the 2-0 Merseyside derby victory that virtually eliminated relegation worries. However, after sustaining a hamstring injury at Brighton and Hove Albion, he was absent for a significant portion of the latter half of this season under David Moyes – and with his contract due to expire at the end of this month, his future remains uncertain.
The Star
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Everton working with police over online abuse faced by Calvert-Lewin's wife
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Ipswich Town - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - May 3, 2025 Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin REUTERS/Peter Powell/File Photo (Reuters) -Everton said they are working with Merseyside Police and the Premier League to identify those responsible for directing "threatening, racist and misogynistic abuse" at Dominic Calvert-Lewin's wife. Calvert-Lewin's wife Sandra had praised her husband on social media for being the third-most prolific goalscorer at Goodison Park in the Premier League era with 30 goals, behind only Duncan Ferguson and Romelu Lukaku. She later shared screenshots of some of the abusive messages she said she received over the post supporting the striker, who missed over three months following a hamstring injury in January and has scored only three league goals this season. "This sinister and intimidating behaviour is not only deeply hurtful and distressing, it is also criminal – and does not represent the values of Everton or the overwhelming majority of our supporters," the club said in a statement on Tuesday. "We are working closely with Merseyside Police and the Premier League to ensure the individuals responsible are identified and held accountable for their actions." (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Straits Times
Everton working with police over online abuse faced by Calvert-Lewin's wife
Everton said they are working with Merseyside Police and the Premier League to identify those responsible for directing "threatening, racist and misogynistic abuse" at Dominic Calvert-Lewin's wife. Calvert-Lewin's wife Sandra had praised her husband on social media for being the third-most prolific goalscorer at Goodison Park in the Premier League era with 30 goals, behind only Duncan Ferguson and Romelu Lukaku. She later shared screenshots of some of the abusive messages she said she received over the post supporting the striker, who missed over three months following a hamstring injury in January and has scored only three league goals this season. "This sinister and intimidating behaviour is not only deeply hurtful and distressing, it is also criminal – and does not represent the values of Everton or the overwhelming majority of our supporters," the club said in a statement on Tuesday. "We are working closely with Merseyside Police and the Premier League to ensure the individuals responsible are identified and held accountable for their actions." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Irish Examiner
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Everton condemn racist abuse aimed at Dominic Calvert-Lewin's wife
Everton have strongly condemned the 'threatening, racist, and misogynistic abuse' aimed at Dominic Calvert-Lewin's wife on social media and are working with Merseyside police to identify the culprits. The Everton striker's wife, Sandra, was targeted after posting her support for Calvert-Lewin after the farewell to Goodison Park on Sunday and suggesting his efforts are underappreciated. Calvert-Lewin, 28, is out of contract at the end of the season but has been offered new terms. In a statement the club said it 'strongly condemns the threatening, racist, and misogynistic abuse directed towards the wife of Dominic Calvert-Lewin on social media', adding: 'This sinister and intimidating behaviour is not only deeply hurtful and distressing, it is also criminal – and does not represent the values of Everton or the overwhelming majority of our supporters. 'The club has a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discriminatory and abusive behaviour. We are working closely with Merseyside police and the Premier League to ensure the individuals responsible are identified and held accountable for their actions. We will continue to offer our full support to Dominic and his family.' Abdoulaye Doucouré is to leave Everton when his contract expires at the end of the season. The 32-year-old midfielder has been an important figure under David Moyes and Sean Dyche, scoring the goal that preserved Everton's top-flight status against Bournemouth in 2023, but confirmed on Tuesday that he would be leaving as a free agent. Everton had offered Doucouré a new deal, having declined to take up an option to extend his contract by 12 months, but that was rejected. The Mali international had voiced frustration at the lack of an offer from Everton in recent weeks and is believed to have several options on the table, including from the Saudi Pro League. Leeds have also been linked with the former Watford midfielder. Doucouré moved to Everton from Vicarage Road for £20m almost five years ago and has made 165 appearances for the club, scoring 21 goals. He waved goodbye to all sides of Goodison Park when substituted in the win against Southampton on Sunday and was in tears on the players' lap of honour. Moyes said: 'Doucs has been an influential player throughout his time at the club, including since I returned as manager, and Evertonians will always be grateful for his dedication and crucial goals. Everyone at Everton thanks Doucs for his service and wishes him all the best for the future.' Doucouré's final Everton appearance could come at Newcastle on Sunday. He will join Ashley Young and the goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and João Virgínia in leaving when their contracts expire this summer. 'Everton means a lot to me,' Doucouré said. 'Obviously the past five years have been hard. I will always remember my time as a dream for me to play for Everton Football Club. Obviously, I'm sad to leave the club but I think the time has come for a new chapter for me and the club as well and I will always be grateful for what the club did for me. 'My best memory will obviously be the goal I scored against Bournemouth to keep the club in the Premier League. I think this is something I'll always be proud of. It was a wonderful moment for me and my family, and for the club as well.' Guardian
