The making of Dominic Calvert-Lewin: How a tough loan spell at Stalybridge Celtic transformed the striker

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s eye was swollen as he walked towards the touchline, and an accident and emergency visit beckoned after his first encounter with the elbow of an old school centre-back.

His manager at Stalybridge Celtic, Keith Briggs, took a quizzical look at the damage and provided the 17-year-old a character-building diagnosis.

“He had been smashed in the face but I told him, ‘No matter what you are thinking, you are not coming off’,” said Briggs.

Hospital would wait until full-time. Upon resuming his senior debut at Hyde United’s Ewen Fields on Boxing Day, 2014, Calvert-Lewin scored two and created another in 4-2 derby victory.

“I remember seeing Dom’s face and the bruised eye as he was coming off at half-time but we took him there so he could understand these challenges and get on with it," said Briggs.

“Before the game one of our directors said to me, ‘I can’t believe we are putting our faith in a 17-year-old untried lad’. I told him he did not need to worry about it.

"This is part and parcel of football. He got his head down and we won the game comfortably in part because of Dom’s attitude and performance that day.

“The game we all really remember was the following New Year’s Day against the same opponents, which we won 7-2. He was fantastic, scoring two and setting up four others. His all-round game was unbelievable - the work rate, temperament, and how he conducted himself in the game. From that day we knew he would have a career in football.”

Calvert-Lewin’s journey from the Conference North to senior international recognition feels especially prescient as non-league and lower league clubs seek to impress their enduring relevance upon the Premier League elite in pursuit of financial aid.

Although a product of the Sheffield United Academy which he joined as a nine-year-old, Calvert-Lewin has acknowledged the importance of his Stalybridge initiation, maintaining the relationship forged during that six week loan spell.

“I try not to pester him but will occasionally tell him how proud I am of what he is doing. He always replies, ‘thanks gaffer’,” says Briggs, who now works at the Barnsley FC academy.

“It is one of those Roy of the Rovers stories. Every single club at that level will be struggling due to the current climate but I know that Stalybridge take a lot of pride in what they did for Dom. It was a perfect relationship at the time, and I think that relationship will endure moving forward. We gave him that first experience and the club will be so proud to have helped him with those first steps. He was not one of those who played or trained and then got in the car and drove off. I always remember him sitting with everyone and having a coke, chatting to fans and board members.

“He took it in his stride and what was great about him on top of that was he was so polite and humble. He really embraced the club, understood he was there for the experience of playing against no-nonsense centre-halves who would try to rough him up a little bit. He embraced what it was all about and conducted himself really well.”

In retrospect, it seems an unlikely alliance for a future England international, but Briggs had inside knowledge of Calvert-Lewin’s potential because he was coaching the Under 16s at Bramall Lane in addition to his Stalybridge duties.

As a schoolboy, Sheffield-born Calvert-Lewin was not a striker. His conversion owes a lot to the intuition of coaches who are now working at Manchester United’s academy, Nick Cox and Travis Binnion.

“I have known Dom since he was 15, but he was a central midfielder when I first saw him playing,” said Briggs.

“Throughout his upbringing he was a box-to-box midfielder. I would not say he was struggling, but he was finding it hard to adapt in that position. He was finding it tougher to establish himself in that role. It was Travis who made the decision to push him upfront.

“He was always athletic and able to get around the pitch but we saw he had an eye for goal so his assets looked more suited to being a striker. He proved that right!

“When he was 17 I spoke with Nick, who was the Sheffield United academy director, and Travis who was looking after the Under 23s. We all decided it was a good idea to give Dom the first taste of the real game - the adult game - if you like.”

Calvert-Lewin scored six goals for Stalybridge prior to returning to Sheffield United, and after another loan spell at Northampton Town, where Chris Wilder was the manager, moved to Everton in 2016 for a bargain £1.5 million, making his debut under Ronald Koeman.

Under Carlo Ancelotti, his strike rate has been transformed to another level.

“You could always see the unbelievable ability and dedication to his game, and a sense of direction to achieve his ambitions,” said Griggs.

“Would we have expected him to be scoring consecutive home hat-tricks for Everton, back then? I am not sure you could predict that.

“I am not sure anyone would have imagined he would rise to prominence in the Premier League as quickly as he did. He has obviously already had England recognition and success with the Under 20s and Under 21s.  We all feel proud to have played a small part in his development, but everything is down to him.”