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Hotspur Way
Fresh start at Leeds helped me - DCL
Hotspur Way
Fresh start at Leeds helped me - DCL
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00:18Okay, everyone, we're back here with Dominic Calvert-Lewian.
00:21Remind that this section is now embargoed until 6am tomorrow
00:25and then we will have a bit at the end embargoed until 10.30pm tomorrow as well.
00:28And if we keep it to two questions per person, that would be great.
00:32Rob, do you want to start us off in a minute?
00:37Hey Dominic, good to see you.
00:39Look, there's been lots of discussion in recent camps about maybe some players
00:43not wanting to turn up for their country.
00:45And the head coach said in the last camp that he's questioned the desire of one or two
00:49about whether they want to turn up and play for England.
00:53You've made your senior debut six years ago.
00:55You've had an awful lot that's happened to you in between with injuries
00:58and with frustrations and not being called up.
01:00And yet you're here again now.
01:01What does it say about your desire to play for your country?
01:04How much does it still mean to you?
01:06It means everything.
01:07I think for me as a young boy dreaming of playing for England
01:10and representing my country, to be here now, it's a very proud thing
01:13and something I'm very grateful for.
01:15I think when I experienced it for the first time, what was it, six years ago,
01:19and then to have so much time in between that,
01:22it's made me appreciate even more, you know, being here today.
01:25There's one guy in particular who's probably cost you an awful lot of England caps.
01:29That's a chap called Harry Kane,
01:30and he's set to become England's most cap player of all time.
01:34Hopefully, they expect on Thursday.
01:36That just rubs it in a little bit, I suppose, for you.
01:38But what do you say about him and how important he's been for English football?
01:42His record speaks for itself.
01:44He's a fantastic player.
01:46He's the captain of the country, and he leads by example,
01:49and I think he's deserving of his accolades at the moment.
01:52And on a personal note, being a centre-forward, you know,
01:56in competition for that place, it's a difficult position to be in.
01:59So I think when I come away on England camps now, you know,
02:01I think I have to be just as prepared as possible
02:05and ready for when my own personal opportunity comes, if and when needed.
02:11Hi, Dominic.
02:12I've read in a recent interview you didn't always like the phrase target man.
02:16Do you think leaning into those attributes
02:18is maybe what's got you back into the England camp,
02:20and do you like that phrase now?
02:22I think so, yeah.
02:23I think it's something that my attributes
02:26and the way that I play lends itself towards now.
02:29You know, being a target man,
02:30everyone kind of can make their own opinion on what that means.
02:33But for me, I think it's just something that I've learned to enjoy
02:37and something that I've got better at
02:38as I've played more and become more experienced in the game.
02:41And, yeah, people can call me what they like.
02:46And off the back of that, and Rob's question as well
02:49about maybe harder to get minutes because Harry Kane's in front of you,
02:52have you had to develop those attributes
02:54or something else in your game to try and impact a match
02:57maybe when you won't get a full 90?
03:02As a striker, you know, your role requires different things.
03:06I think when you're on the bench,
03:08you know that probably, depending on how a game's going to go,
03:11you're going to have to come on and impact the game.
03:14And probably my attributes and a large reason of why I'm in the squad
03:17is that depending on the circumstances in a game,
03:20I can do different things coming onto the pitch.
03:22You know, I can come on and affect the game in a positive way
03:24if we need a goal.
03:25But then also my physical attributes lend themselves to
03:29if you need to hold the ball up or, you know,
03:31you need to be more direct.
03:32And, again, it's something I've come to realise.
03:36We've all got different individual strengths within the squad
03:38and that's why we're here.
03:43No English player has scored more Premier League goals than you
03:46since you've joined Ellen Road, Leeds United.
03:49What's been the difference?
03:52I've been asked this question a lot.
03:53And I think because I've played the majority of my career
03:57in the Premier League, people have seen my development
04:00from boy to man.
04:02And it's very difficult to maintain, you know,
04:06maybe a handful of players can maintain outstanding levels
04:09of performance season on season.
04:11And I've had my own fair share of setbacks,
04:14which everyone's aware of, and it's been there for everybody to see.
04:17So for me, I knew that a change of environment was what I needed
04:21almost 18 months ago in joining Leeds United.
04:24And when I spoke to the club, I knew it was the right place for me
04:27and the right place to reignite my career.
04:29So I think in times of hardship, I just never stopped believing
04:32that I would get back to this level.
04:34And I knew my capabilities and qualities on the pitch.
04:37And it's more about the habits that I have every day
04:40and the small things you do every day, which ultimately lead you
04:43or lead me to being here, talking to you guys now.
04:46Has Daniel been key to that for you in terms of coaching?
04:49And how does he compare to Thomas and what he's guided you to
04:52on your call-up?
04:54Yeah, Daniel's been very important.
04:56From the first time I spoke to him, he called me.
04:58And again, it was a big one for me in the way that he spoke,
05:01made me want to join Leeds United.
05:03And I think he's created an environment for me,
05:05which I feel comfortable in.
05:07You could say he's put an arm around me,
05:09which some players need and probably what I needed
05:11when I joined the football club.
05:12And the clubs reaped the rewards.
05:15And then in relation to Thomas, I think they're similar in some ways.
05:19And I've had so many different managers over the course of my career.
05:22So I feel like I've experienced everything.
05:23But the attention to detail is something that they're,
05:26from a footballing perspective, that they're very similar in.
05:33Good afternoon, Dominic.
05:34Daniel from Benchfuse.
05:35You already tasted international glory as an under-20.
05:39What would it mean to go on and maybe win a Euros or a World Cup
05:43with this England squad?
05:44And what was it like winning that under-20 World Cup?
05:47Firstly, winning the under-20 World Cup was an amazing feeling
05:50and something that I look,
05:52and a memory that I look very fondly back on.
05:54And I think more so when I see the guys that
05:58we achieved that success with,
06:00even now, what, best part of 10 years later,
06:04you still have them shared memories and those shared experiences.
06:07So to do it on a senior level,
06:11I don't think there's words that can really put it into,
06:16words that can do it justice of how that would feel for us as players
06:18and us as a nation to succeed in an international tournament.
06:22And there's obviously a lot of unbelievable players in that dressing room.
06:26The likes of Jude, Kane and Anthony have gone abroad.
06:30What's it like in the dressing room,
06:32the culture that they may bring from elsewhere?
06:34And what have you learned from that?
06:36I think it's great.
06:37I think the fact that we've got top-level English players
06:40playing abroad now at top European clubs,
06:43I think it's only good for English football
06:45and us as a national team.
06:47You know, you see they bring different experiences
06:50that they're learning from overseas
06:52and they bring it into this group.
06:54And I think, as you can see,
06:56they're only growing in confidence and as players.
06:58And I think it's only a positive thing.
07:01Thanks, James.
07:03Hi, Dominic.
07:04There was a long inquest into the World Cup semi-final
07:06against Argentina.
07:08Everybody has a theory on what happened in that final
07:10sort of half an hour.
07:11I just wondered, from your perspective,
07:13watching from afar, what did you make of that?
07:15Why do you think England were 1-0 up in a strong position
07:19and obviously let it slip?
07:22It's difficult to say.
07:24There's a lot of pressure in that moment
07:25and football largely comes down to fine margins
07:30and decisions made it in the heat of the moment.
07:33Now, I can't sit here and say what the answer is
07:37or why we didn't win that game.
07:39So I can't give you that answer.
07:41But all I know from coming into the squad
07:44off the back of that is that there's a large hunger
07:47and desire to succeed for the country
07:51and to do people proud.
07:53And I think it's not just me that sits here
07:56and says it's a very proud thing to play for your country.
07:58I think it's something that's well kind of within the squad.
08:02Because the manager's talked about, since the World Cup,
08:04changing a few behaviours, changing a few patterns
08:07in what the team are doing.
08:09Can you give us an insight into what they are?
08:13Like I say, I wasn't at the World Cup,
08:15so I can't really speak from what was said or done specifically.
08:19Well, compared to March when you were...
08:21Compared to March.
08:22So my time in March was quite brief also.
08:25I was here for five days,
08:26so it was quite a congested time of tactics.
08:28So I was learning probably the way that Thomas wants to play
08:32kind of going into the World Cup.
08:35So all I can say is from my experience
08:37from the last international break is
08:41the detail in how we want to play is very clear.
08:46And for me as a new player coming into the squad,
08:50it helps because you know what your job is,
08:52you know what your role is,
08:53and you know what's required.
08:55And I think it was about building the confidence again
08:57and putting good performances in
09:00and convincing performances in
09:02off the back of the World Cup to show
09:04a statement of intent,
09:05and that will be the same this international break.
09:09Henry.
09:13Hi, Dominic.
09:14Leeds United fans have a great love of strikers.
09:18You know, Yeboah, Viduka, Cantona, Hasselbank,
09:21go back to Alan Clarke, players like that.
09:24You're obviously aware of the love
09:25that they do have for centre-forwards,
09:28but you're also aware of this great heritage the club have.
09:32Yeah, absolutely.
09:34Of course.
09:34I grew up an hour away from Leeds and Sheffield,
09:38so I'm well aware of the football club and its history.
09:41And then in joining the club,
09:43you learn so much more and what it means to represent the club.
09:46And I think being a Yorkshire man myself,
09:48it's something that I found easy to settle into
09:52in terms of the culture of the club
09:56and recognising that the fans and the people and the way they are,
10:01they want to see a reflection of themselves
10:02when they're watching you on the football pitch.
10:05And it's something that I resonate with well, I think.
10:07And so, therefore, my qualities, they also lend itself to that,
10:11and it's something I thoroughly enjoy, that expectation.
10:14Which is what?
10:15That work ethic?
10:16The work ethic, I think, giving your all is a bare minimum.
10:21And being physical, well, from my role personally,
10:26being physical, also with a bit of quality as well.
10:29I think that's what they expect from their number nine.
10:33Hi, Dom.
10:34Just heard from Josh King, a young attacker, obviously,
10:37early on in his career.
10:38Very excited about his first England opportunity this week.
10:42What would be your sort of message to him
10:44as a player who's been through ups and downs in their career,
10:48that he will have those moments ahead of him?
10:51What would be your sort of message to a young player like him
10:53who's starry-eyed and excited,
10:55but there's still tough work to do, I guess, ahead?
11:00Good question.
11:01I would say, firstly, enjoy every moment.
11:05Take it in.
11:06Don't take it for granted and be grateful to be here
11:08because, you know, he was also once a young boy
11:10that dreamed of being in this position.
11:12But then also know that success is not in a straight line
11:16and it takes dedication and small habits each day
11:19and being consistent.
11:21Don't let success change the consistency that's brought you here
11:23and continue to do the things to stay here.
11:27And I guess for a lot of us watching from the outside,
11:30we see obviously Harry Kane regularly leading the line.
11:33Almost a competition behind him for who might be that alternative
11:37for Thomas Tuchel in different games.
11:38We've seen him use different strikers.
11:40We sort of talk about consistency.
11:42Do you see it as an audition this week
11:45and every time you get the England call
11:46or do you just try and stand by what works well for you
11:49and hope that can take you into the position
11:51where you make regular caps for England?
11:54I suppose it's somewhat an audition
11:56but ultimately it's what I do week in, week out for Leeds
11:59and the quality that I show for Leeds
12:01that's going to warrant a call-up.
12:03Obviously then you get the opportunity to shine in an England shirt
12:06which is the most important thing when you're here.
12:08But I think with age I've realised I know what my strengths are.
12:12I know what I'm good at.
12:13So if I continue to showcase that on a weekly basis for Leeds
12:17then it's down to Thomas if he wants to pick me or not.
12:22Thanks.
12:22I'll finish this section.
12:25Dom, you've played in Premier League level
12:28with Jordan Pickford and now James Trafford
12:30and both keepers are likely to get a start in these two matches.
12:34What qualities do they both have
12:36and should we just be looking at that as the depth of quality
12:39rather than competition for a number one shirt?
12:42I think so.
12:43I think we're fortunate now that we've got two exceptional goalkeepers
12:47and one thing that is true for both of them
12:50that they're very self-confident and confident in their ability
12:52which is what I think you need from an England's number one.
12:56I played with Pickers for nine years at Everton
12:58so I've seen him grow and what a career he's had for England
13:02so I don't think that can be so quickly disregarded at all
13:05but then now I'm playing with James Trafford
13:07who is a younger, confident, top, top goalkeeper
13:11and I'm seeing his quality week in, week out now
13:13so I think it's something that should be appreciated.
13:15Us as a nation, we're very quick to kind of compete
13:19pitch players against each other
13:21when there's all of a sudden competition for places
13:22but instead of appreciating the fact that we've got strength in depth
13:25and strength in depth is what you need in order to win tournaments.
13:30James, how has he managed to accelerate
13:31into Tuchel's mind so quickly?
13:35I think he won a trophy for City last year
13:39when he has played, he's been top
13:41and he's continued that coming to Leeds
13:44I think he's been a fantastic addition for us
13:46and exactly what we needed
13:47and you just get that feeling when you see someone up close
13:52and I see him on a match day
13:55he's got all the qualities that's needed to be a top, top goalie for me.
13:59I think maybe for Ronaldo, he'll be annoyed that Messi came at the same time as him
14:03Messi, Ronaldo perhaps
14:06at a time of playing with Harry Kane
14:09being the number one up front
14:12what did you at least take from him in your game
14:15to be pushing so closely?
14:19I think we're both very different players in the way that we play
14:25but I think his mentality is very strong
14:28I think we're both similar in that sense
14:31that we're both very strong in how we want to play
14:36so me on one end of the spectrum and him on the other
14:39but I think his finishing quality
14:41his overall quality and his leadership qualities
14:45I think is something that I as a striker appreciate
14:47and removing our own personal competition from the situation
14:53just as a striker watching another striker
14:56he's one of the best in the world
14:58so you can't argue with that
14:59OK, we'll move on to a short section
15:01the bargain until 10.30
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