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- [00:00]
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- [00:31]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
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- [00:45]
Roger Bennett
You're listening to the Men in Blazers Media Network Suboptimal Radio.
- [00:51]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Football to me is still everything, but it was the be all and end all and it was a large part of my identity. It was like me the footballer, and it took me a while to find out who really Dominic was. Having a daughter and meeting my wife kind of helped me see that and become, yeah, I'm Dominic the footballer, but I'm also Dominic the father, the husband, the friend.
- [01:15]
Roger Bennett
My guest today is a gent who's become a symbol of this resilient Leeds United side. A bloke, a singular style, who's arrived back home in Yorkshire and experienced what can only be called a McConnissant. I've loved watching him reborn, backing himself to soar again. It's a joy to welcome back one of the top three smelling footballers in the game. It's Mr. Dominic Calvert. Lewin.
- [01:35]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Rog, how are you?
- [01:36]
Roger Bennett
I'm all right.
- [01:37]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Good, good.
- [01:38]
Roger Bennett
You are top three, right?
- [01:40]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Willie Nonto, number one. He just smells nice every day and obviously when you greet everybody in the morning, you shake their hands and every time you shake Willy's hand, you smell of him for the rest of the day.
- [01:50]
Roger Bennett
God bless life goals. The smell of Willie Nanto Dom. I want to start by leaping back a year ago over the summer. You were plotting a new course. Nine seasons at Everton. You knew you wanted something new. Can you talk about that mindset? Because I think you can only understand what's come next by picking you up where you were then. You've talked about personally needing a refresh, wanting something new. Where were you mentally?
- [02:14]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
I've said it before, you know, needed a fresh start. I think nine years is a long time to be anywhere and I felt that I'd stagnated a little bit and Everton gave me so much and I'm very grateful for all my time there and it's played a large part in my life and my career. But I think you get to. You arrive at a point and I. I knew what I needed and it was risk and reward. I think I just had to back myself and take on a new challenge.
- [02:37]
Roger Bennett
I loved watching you at Everton. I'm gonna get that out of the way. I miss you there. When you first sawed there, it was under Carlo Ancelotti and he came on our show and I said, how did you make this gent go there? And he said, simple. I just put my arm around his shoulder and then he thrived. And you kind of did. We've talked about how you're a man who feels things, which can be hard as a footballer. Can you talk about in your own words what you realise you need, the conditions to thrive?
- [03:04]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Something. I guess what Carlo suggested there, I think he did exactly that. And it gave me what I needed as a player and as a person to go and thrive on the football pitch. And I think. Which is what Just that support system, the arm around the shoulder, just the sole relationship that he built with me got the best out of me. It's hard to explain. I missed him a lot when he left Everton. I was at the Oros at the time when I found out he was leaving. So I was disappointed. And then what followed that was a series of injuries when probably I needed something, something like that at that time. And I didn't. Didn't quite have it. Same with Duncan Ferguson left around the same time I think as well. So the big pillars for me within the football club had left and I went into a difficult period, as everybody knows. And now I'm happy to have come out the other end.
- [03:52]
Roger Bennett
I want to dig into the story of last season. You got your first Premier League minutes as a substitute. Third week against Newcastle. Start next game against Fulham. And your first goal away to Wolves the following week. It was a high deep cross from Jaden Bogle dropped into your curls. You were sandwiched between two Wolves centre backs and you looped it home. I'm not a big counter, Dom, but I believe that was your first goal in 244 days. What did that feel like in that moment to experience that again? Was it like catharsis? Was it a relief? Was it pure joy?
- [04:23]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Just pure joy. A great feeling, you know, to have gotten off the mark for Leeds United was top on my priority to do list. You know, to score my first goal. So to have done that so early in the season was a nice kind of thing to achieve. And A nice start, but start of, you know, start as you mean to go on and just, yeah, a great feeling.
- [04:42]
Roger Bennett
I mean, that match is also the first time completing 90 minutes since the same game back in January. Hamstring injury kept you out in the wake of that. And I know you're a player for whom physicality, it's more than just throwing your body around the field. You're very in tune with your own body. Can you talk about how you almost need to learn to trust your body again to sort.
- [05:01]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
I think it's different for everybody, but I think when you go through a series of setbacks, it takes a time to kind of trust your body again. And you can only do that by training and playing and staying on the pitch. And I think for me, I put a larger focus into my recovery, my nutrition, all the things and sleep, being the main pillar of everything around the football pitch to kind of give myself the best chance of staying on the pitch. And I'd say last season I left no stone unturned in that respect. And one thing I've got to mention as well is my support system at home, my wife, my daughter, it's given me the best platform I could wish for to go and thrive on the football pitch. And it all coincided at the same time. And it's a life story as well as a professional story.
- [05:46]
Roger Bennett
You know, it's amazing. Footballers have to be selfish by trade. Like, you have to only think about yourself. I've heard you in interviews talk about what having a daughter's done to change your life and your game, but it's almost anti that footballing selfishness. How do you understand it?
- [06:01]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
I think that I was so like, football to me is still everything, but it was the be all and end all. And it was a large part of my identity. It was like me the footballer. And it took me a while to find out who really Dominic was, I would say. And having a daughter and meeting my wife kind of helped me see that and become, yeah, I'm Dominic the footballer, but I'm also Dominic the father, the husband, the friend at home. And I think that gives me more clarity in who I am and it's actually helped me perform on the football pitch because I'm way more free to play.
- [06:37]
Roger Bennett
Free to play was really the ethos of watching it. It has been so joyous to see you soar again. That redemptive arc for the club. For you, the story's well known. 2 nil down against Manchester City at halftime. Daniel Farker moves you to three at the bat. You score in that game and things begin to click for the team. For you. I want to talk about the team first because there was momentum coming out of that. How do you experience that kind of transformation from a relegation bound team who were struggling to possess the ball to one who was suddenly flowing? It's almost like a vibe shift. Is it the culture that comes first, the change, or does winning actually change the culture?
- [07:13]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The culture was there and I was always a strong believer that even when we were facing adversity in the beginning of the season, that we could turn it around because of the group that we had, the culture that we built and also the culture that I've walked into, that give. Certainly for me it was a natural fit. It's in Yorkshire. We all know I'm a Yorkshire man and I felt very at home with, you know, the staff, the players, how they welcomed me in. The core of the team was strong enough to and had, was resilient enough to be able to turn it around. And sometimes it takes moments in football to do that. And that was the evidence that we needed that we could go against the best and play well. We didn't come away with a result on the day, but we'd done enough and had the evidence to show that, right, we deserve to be here. And that was the catalyst.
- [08:01]
Roger Bennett
You went to the Chelsea game, the Liverpool game, that story is well known. But for you, you want to post seven goals in six games. That unbeaten run that lifted leads up and really you never look back. You've talked about how it was, the environment, rising, your tide. But personally, when you're in that flow again, when you're scoring the goals like that, does the game feel different? Do the goalkeepers feel shorter? Do the goals feel bigger? Do you feel like you can't miss when you pull your foot back?
- [08:28]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
There are moments in your career or in seasons where you go through that kind of vein of form where everything that touches you goes in. And that's the kind of form I was in through November, December, January. And it's a great feeling as a striker when you get into that flow state that's where you want to be. And as long as you can stay in that, the better.
- [08:48]
Roger Bennett
What does it feel like to score a goal? Can you put it into words?
- [08:52]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
It's the best feeling in the world, it really is. And it's addictive. It's the adrenaline rush that you get when you're scoring goals. I never get bored of it and I think coming into a club like Leeds United, it's been very, very special to have been scoring on a consistent basis and feeling that love from the fans and giving back, you know, they want to see a representation of themselves when they look at you on the football pitch. And that's what I always strive to do, is just try and give my best and give back to them that support you so well.
- [09:19]
Roger Bennett
Yeah. The beautiful quote in the program at Leeds United this season. You said, I want to score goals for those normal blokes from Yorkshire because I'm still one of them.
- [09:28]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
It was as simple as that. And when I came to the club, I realized that I'd made a very good decision in joining the football club. Feeling the place and the environment and the people. And there was always going to be question marks over was I the right man for the job? And I felt that from a part of the fan base. But what I felt mostly was, let's get behind this guy. You know, he's an experienced Premier League player and he's going to be good for us. So I wanted to repay that. And when I started to do that, it was, you know, a great, great feeling.
- [09:53]
Roger Bennett
Wayne Rooney once came on the show and said that to score a goal, it feels like you're underwater as a diver, and then you just break the water level. You can hear everything.
- [10:01]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
It's not a bad analogy. I would say, like, sometimes you go into a state of euphoria, particularly when you score a goal that means so much that the noise is so loud that it's almost silent. You know, you go into like this different place. And most of the celebrations that I do, I don't really remember, you know, because you're just so, like taking everything in, but also taking an offer in at the time, and it's Diego Forlan
- [10:23]
Roger Bennett
said it was like an orgasm, only better. It could be, could be Dom, if you had to name two strikers that you've learned the most from style wise, just by watching who'd they be and why.
- [10:35]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The last 10 years, I always watched Karim Benzema. Even though our styles may not be so similar. I just think in terms of appreciating someone else's craft and what they do. For me, he's one of the best to ever play number nine. So Benzema would be one that makes
- [10:49]
Roger Bennett
it physicality and clinicality.
- [10:51]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Yeah, just the way he played, the way he moved, the way he could score all types of goals. I think a top, top player that probably doesn't get the respect that he deserves, in my opinion. And then for someone that is could arguably Be similar to me, Olivier Giroud, I think another one that maybe doesn't get the respect he deserves. I think a top, top player target man didn't rely necessarily on his pace, but relied more on his craftiness, on his, on his physicality and his back to goal play. And obviously scored some great goals.
- [11:20]
Roger Bennett
And both too good looking. Your manager Daniel Farker said you're a great human being, a great teammate, hard worker, and he described your goal scoring habit. You've heard this a lot, I'm sure. Ketchup bottle says the goals all come out after a couple of shakes. Almost like the goal scoring is linked to confidence. Do you agree, Dom, or is there a condiment that you feel more spiritually aligned with than the tomato sauce?
- [11:45]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
I think for me it's, you know, as a striker, you've got a handful of players in the world, strikers in the world that can pick the ball up from the halfway line, dribble it and shoot from 20 yards and it goes in. I might not have that capability and I know my strengths and I sometimes, well, I rely a lot on the players around me and the service that I get. And sometimes you go through periods where maybe you're not in the right place or the service is not quite there and the team's going through a difficult moment, so the opportunities aren't there as much. But then there are other times when everything clicks and you're in the right place. But that doesn't happen by accident because I'm still getting in the right areas. I'm still assessing that when the ball's out wide, I need to be in this area in case the ball does come. Sometimes the ball comes to the front post and you're on the back post. I don't want to get too technical, but it's about getting in the right areas consistently and eventually your luck will change.
- [12:35]
Roger Bennett
So you said that goals are not the defining measurement of your success. So what are the metrics? What are the data points that you look to that you evaluate your performance by?
- [12:43]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Firstly, I will always be judged on goals, and that is I want to score goals. But beyond that, I think it's to lead the line physically, be a presence for the team, to be an outlet for the team when we're against maybe a different opposition and the game changes where maybe we need to be a bit longer to link the play well, to affect the game as much as I can without scoring a goal. And then if you score a goal, it's always a bonus.
- [13:10]
Roger Bennett
What mental work do you do before A game. Are you a visualizer of the game you're about to play?
- [13:15]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Not in too much depth. I've fluctuated throughout my career on what truly works for me. But I've found that not giving too much thought is actually better for me. Because the reason you train is repetition. You know, you train repetition. I've done thousands of hours on a football pitch. So by the time the game comes, your body already knows what to do. So my idea is that is to get out of the head and more into the body and just let the
- [13:40]
Roger Bennett
body instinct play off.
- [13:41]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Instinct?
- [13:42]
Roger Bennett
Yeah, Muscle memory. Correct goals. What do you do mentally in times of challenge? Is there a ritual that you use then? A methodology?
- [13:49]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Hammock, Creature of habit. So my structure is what keeps me balanced. My structure doesn't change whether I've scored 10 in 10 or none in 10. You know, I continue to do the same things. So I keep the same good habits regardless of the outcomes. And I've been in the game long enough to know that if you are in a difficult moment, the outcome will eventually change.
- [14:10]
Roger Bennett
We'll look ahead to the season. There's before us Leeds. New players, new ambition. Clubs brought Harry Wilson over from Fulham. Watching his deliveries, they seem tailor made out wide for your forehead. What's he like Defining a new relationship in training?
- [14:26]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Yes. It's not been that long so far, but I know a lot about him. He's been. We've played against each other a fair few times. He had an unbelievable season last year and you can see the quality he's got in training already. He's got a nice cultured left foot which I'm looking forward to playing alongside him. And hopefully my game and his game can complement each other and we can work a nice partnership together.
- [14:48]
Roger Bennett
Last season you had the chip on your shoulder to show that you were the right man for the club and the job. You've shown that. How do you reset? What personal goal do you have? What mission have you got for this year?
- [14:59]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
To always score more goals than the season before. It's. It's always been to try and make this season better than the last. That is, that is always my goal. And I think that's the, the main motivation from a personal level that you can need. Because maybe if you're a midfielder and you don't judge your game on goals, there's a. There's a clear measurement. For me, however many goals I score determines how good of a season I have. And then obviously collectively you can add in that usually is a byproduct of me scoring goals is we finish further up the table. We can kick on from where we finished last year and all those things, but I'm someone that is intrinsically motivated anyway, so I don't really need anything external to motivate me. I'm as hungry as ever, and especially after a good season last year, I'm hungry to do more.
- [15:42]
Roger Bennett
We've talked before and I know that you're someone who's very focused on the work to come rather than what you've accomplished in the past. But to me you are evidence of one constant in life that actually transcends football. That skill can get you so far, but what really matters is tenacity, the ability to persevere, which I believe you really embody. You've really built it. When you look at your own journey, what do you think is the most important lesson we should take from it?
- [16:06]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
It sounds very cliche, but never give up because success is never in a straight line. I've said this before, you're always going to have setbacks and you only lose if you stop. So there would have been moments where over the last three, four years where it was difficult and my back was against the wall and people are writing me off, you know, I'm not good enough to play in the Premier League and this, that and the other, regardless of what I'd already accomplished. So for me it's, you know, do you accept that or do you make a deal with yourself of no, this is, this is not the end of me. I've still got much more left to prove and much more left to do. More to myself than anything. Because we're all just young boys with a dream, you know, I'm a 29 year old man now, but I'm still a kid inside kicking a ball around a football pitch. So that was something that will never leave me.
- [16:55]
Roger Bennett
Amen. I've got to say, may this hanging out with me be the low point of the season to come. Dom, you're an amazing bloke, dude. To you, to the season ahead and to your family. Big love.
- [17:05]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Thanks, Rog.
- [17:05]
Roger Bennett
Thanks, sir. Karun.
- [17:06]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Top mum.