Calvert-Lewin showed selfish striker’s instincts on international duty

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England’s Under-21 side rounded off a hugely impressive 2018 with a 5-1 friendly thumping against Denmark last night.

There were two goals apiece for Merseyside rival Dominics Solanke and Calvert-Lewin, with both men taking the opportunity to show their respective club managers what they can do on international duty.

Perhaps Solanke will grab the headlines; he has had less gametime at Liverpool than Calvert-Lewin has had at Everton and netted four goals in just two games on international duty.

But Calvert-Lewin also showed a ruthlessness that Marco Silva will want to see more often at club level if the Young Lion is to form a bigger part of his plans.

With Solanke on a hat-trick, England won a penalty in the closing minutes of the match and with the score at 4-1, Calvert-Lewin could have passed the spot-kick on to allow the striker to net his third goal of the night.

But he showed a single-mindedness and professionalism that all top forwards need to show and kept it for himself; taking the responsibility as the designated taker and slotting it home.

Calvert-Lewin, like a lot of young forwards these days, have not yet defined what they are and where they want to play, but he showed impressive striker’s instincts last night.