/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58948635/862704808.jpg.0.jpg)
Multiple media outlets are reporting that England manager Gareth Southgate is planning to call-up Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin for the coming round of friendlies in against Holland and Italy.
Southgate had previously selected a couple of youngsters for the friendly against Brazil in November, and though the Toffee was in the training squad, it was his Under-20 World Cup winning teammate Dominic Solanke and Tammy Abraham who got the official call-up.
England’s top two strikers are likely to be Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy going into this summer’s World Cup, with Marcus Rashford currently holding the advantage ahead of the above-mentioned trio of youngsters.
Calvert-Lewin has functioned in a variety of roles across the forward line for a disjointed Everton this season, and as the comparison below will show, could end up ahead of everyone else simply by being more of a jack-of-all-trades than his competition.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10381137/England_Young_Strikers.jpg)
Solanke’s statistics are better but he has struggled to get playing minutes for offensive juggernaut Liverpool despite featuring in 16 Premier League games. Rashford has hit a dry run lately with Manchester United and Abraham has been isolated when he’s played for recently resurgent Swansea City.
A strong run from Calvert-Lewin to end the season could see him added to the traveling party to Russia, and if even he doesn’t play a single game it’s the kind of experience that will serve the youngster well in the future.