Scot Dyche- I can't deciding on my first XI and have lost confidence

ECHO exclusive as Connor O’Neill chats to Duncan Ferguson about Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Everton under Sean Dyche

Duncan Ferguson has no doubt Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be back among the goals as he issued a firm defence of the Everton forward.

Calvert-Lewin’s ambitions have, like everything else in his career over the past two years, suffered because of a succession of injuries. It has certainly been a testing period for the England international.

But as well as suffering from a number of different injuries, there have also been moments over the past two years when snipers have accused Calvert-Lewin of neglecting football as he pursued other avenues, including the occasional magazine shoot.

The striker cut a frustrated figure during Everton’s last campaign, as hamstring and groin injuries forced him out of action at crucial stages. He could only watch on from the sidelines as the Blues beat Bournemouth 1-0 on the final day of the season to preserve their top-flight status.

Desperate to find a long-term solution to his recent struggles, Calvert-Lewin visited the Myos Sports and Health Clinic in Munich earlier this summer to re-evaluate and start to build better foundations for his body. The facility is also one that has been used in the past by Patrik Schick, Kingsley Coman and Franck Ribery.

And Ferguson, speaking exclusively to the ECHO, has revealed he knows the hard yards Calvert-Lewin has been putting in from the minute last season ended and also explained that the 26-year-old is determined to get his body back on track to handle the demands of the forthcoming campaign.

The former Goodison Park favourite, who worked closely with Calvert-Lewin throughout his time on the Everton coaching staff, said: “He’s had a real tough run, hasn’t he? A real tough run. He’s a wonderful player, and when he is healthy, he scores goals, and if Everton can get him fit and healthy, believe me, he will score goals.

“He’s a great player who is dedicated, and I know he has tried absolutely everything to keep himself healthy. I know that for a fact.

“He’s been working through the summer to make sure he gets himself right, and if Everton can keep him healthy and fit, he will score a lot of goals; there is no question about that.

“They have absolutely missed him. They have not been able to replace him, and he is a big miss for them.

“Any manager will tell you that you need goals in your team if you are to win any game of football, and Everton have struggled to do that and win games at home.

“A large part of that is because they have not had the main man up there. Dominic is the main man when he is fit. I know for a fact that he is trying everything to be fit for that team.”

Calvert-Lewin, despite taking part in pre-season training with his team-mates, finally made his return to action in a behind-closed-doors friendly against AC Monza at Goodison on Tuesday afternoon. The forward managed to complete 45 minutes in the 2-2 draw.

And after back-to-back battles to avoid the drop, Ferguson believes Calvert-Lewin will be a season-changer if Sean Dyche can rely on his availability for the majority of fixtures this season.

“I speak to Dominic now and again,” he told the ECHO. “I was with him a couple of months ago in London. He’s a lovely man, and I love being with him.

“We had a great relationship, and he is obviously missing me, isn’t he? He’s not quite been the same since I left.

“Dominic is a great kid, and he will be back banging in the goals if he gets back on that pitch, and that will be the big thing for Everton this year.”

The Blues kick off their new Premier League campaign at home to Fulham a week on Saturday. The challenge facing Dyche and his coaching staff is a clear one: ensure the club is not battling relegation for a third consecutive season.

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