Michael Owen claims Man Utd made major mistake not signing Leeds United battering ram – ‘he’s hard to handle’
Michael Owen believes Manchester United missed a trick not “taking a chance” on signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the Leeds United star arguably in the form of his life and being heavily backed to earn a recall to the England squad this week.
When Calvert-Lewin moved to Leeds on a free transfer at the end of his Everton contract, there weren’t too many Whites supporters singing from the rafters given the striker’s dubious injury record while on Merseyside.
But while the Sheffield-born star’s final two years with the Toffees were plagued by injuries, Leeds’ medical and coaching team have worked wonders with the player, who has been in, arguably, the form of his career since moving to Elland Road.
Everton fans will, rightly, point to that purple patch he enjoyed under Carlo Ancelotti on Merseyside, though after scoring in five consecutive games at Elland Road – becoming the first player to achieve that feat since Mark Viduka in 2001 – Leeds fans have been quick to show the 29-year-old their huge appreciation.
At the time he moved to Leeds, there had been rumblings of possible interest from Manchester United, though the Red Devils never followed up on that and instead pushed through a deal for Benjamin Sesko, who cost £73.7m (€85m) when joining from RB Leipzig.
Now, after witnessing Calvert-Lewin bully Newcastle’s defenders on Monday night, as Leeds secured a 4-1 win to reach the dizzy heights of third, Owen has claimed that INEOS may be now ruing that decision.
Owen told Premier League Productions: “He has always struggled with injuries, but when he is fit, he is a hard man to handle.
“And with the lack of centre-forwards that has been around in recent years, I thought, with all due respect to Leeds, one of the bigger teams might have just taken a chance and had him as the backup.
“Maybe even a Manchester United.
“One or two sniffed around him, but Leeds put the money where their mouth was and got him, and he has repaid them.”
Calvert-Lewin now has 16 goals in 39 Premier League games for Leeds, a tally which would have been one better had the Whites’ second on Monday not been credited to teammate Jayden Bogle.
Calvert-Lewin one of four Leeds players who deserve England recall
Calvert-Lewin’s form for Leeds has fuelled suggestions the player could be in line for an England recall when Thomas Tuchel names his squad for the upcoming Nations League clashes.
The 29-year-old has 12 caps to his name, the most recent coming in March when Tuchel handed him an opportunity to impress in a friendly against Uruguay.
But while the striker didn’t really make the most of that opportunity and was subsequently overlooked for the World Cup with Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins getting the nod ahead of him, his form for Leeds since – coupled with the fact that his two biggest rivals are now both playing in Saudi Arabia – suggests the time is right.
Indeed, Calvert-Lewin is one of four Leeds stars who could be in the mix for an England call-up this week, with Whites manager Daniel Farke also pushing the claims of James Justin, Jayden Bogle and James Trafford.
“He’s a handful and tough for each and every defender,” Farke said.
“He’s difficult to play against. He’s at a top fitness level. You can see he plays with confidence and a good rhythm, but also benefits from a really strong team and players who work for him.
“Dominic is a crucial player and if he shows this type of form, he’s definitely one of the best strikers in this league. It’s the best league in the world and that more or less sums up what I think about him as a player.”
Asked about the credentials of Calvert-Lewin, Farke was also quick to push the claims of his other players too.
“Definitely realistic,” he said, before adding: “But there are a few other names on my mind with an English passport after a performance like this.”
