Dominic Calvert-Lewin has taken the “long way round” before making himself feel at home again. Calvert-Lewin is relishing what he calls a “second phase of his career” with Leeds United as he is back enjoying his football as much as ever and scoring goals.

It is also a mark of Calvert-Lewin’s mental strength that he decided to leave Everton and make himself a free agent last summer in search of a fresh start and a new adventure.

There were other opportunities and it would have been easy to jump at the first offer. But for a proud Yorkshireman, he knew he was making the right choice with Leeds.

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Calvert-Lewin said: “It did feel strange at first but I would say I knew from the first day that I walked in at Leeds and I heard Yorkshire accents that I felt at home! The staff all speaking like me.

“I felt very comfortable and it’s a very close knit group of lads. It’s a freeing feeling to be enjoying football like I am at the moment. I’ve always known that I play my best football when I’m enjoying it.

“The atmosphere at Elland Road is special, really special. I’ve played there as an opposing player and it was hostile. To have that as a Leeds player now is so special.”

Calvert-Lewin spent nine years at Everton and it is still unusual for an England international of his age to suddenly become a free agent.

It was very much his choice. He wanted to try something new. But even as an established Premier League striker, there were feelings of uncertainty and risk.

His wife and daughter helped him through a unique summer which also reminded him just how much he loves the game.

Calvert-Lewin said: “My mental strength is one of my biggest assets. You don’t succeed at this level for as long as I have done without having a certain level of resilience, robustness and mental toughness.

“For me, I always feel my career has been about having to prove something. My dad would always say: ‘Go the long way round.’ For me, it’s nothing I’ve not been through before.

“There were moments where - and it’s inevitable - you question yourself in quiet moments. Things swirl around and there’s a lot going on, you have to remain calm. But we’re all human. Uncertainty affects everyone. As footballers, you are no different to that.

“My wife has been pivotal in those decisions and providing a level head when perhaps I’ve had a little wobble or not knowing if I was making the right choice. I can’t thank her enough for that.

“I spent so much time with my daughter in the summer and I look back now, having scored goals and being in a good moment, and I think back to pushing my daughter on the swing while others were going back to pre-season.

“But the summer showed me two things really. On the one hand, it gave me a break with my family that I would never normally have. Then, on the other hand, it made me miss football so much and made me realise that I’m far from finished.

“I do feel like this is the second phase of my career. I’ve still got so much that I still want to achieve and so much that I want to do and it gives me so much motivation that, when the next opportunity arises, I’m going to grab it with both hands.”

Calvert-Lewin is eloquent, bright and engaging. You can quickly see why he has already become a strong voice in the dressing room.

And he is also realistic enough to accept that he was always going to have to win over the Leeds fanbase when he turned up as a free transfer just four days before the start of the season.

“I was aware of the mixed reviews of me signing for Leeds among the fanbase,” said Calvert-Lewin. “When I did join, maybe they were hoping for a big money signing and what that represents.

“But I know the quality that I have and what I would bring and I’ve slowly started to feel the shift and I always knew it would happen when I started to show my quality and what I bring to the table so it’s been great to feel that support from the fanbase.”

Calvert-Lewin admits he will also have to shift a narrative about his fitness record (he played a lot of football in the past two seasons) but he also believes that he is now playing the best football of his career.

He added: “When you get tarred with a certain brush and it’s hard to shake it off. I think that’s probably what has happened with me. But here I am, 28, feeling strong, feeling confident and feeling in a great position.

“The best way to shift narratives and prove people wrong, if that’s how people want to put it, is to put in good performances, win games, help Leeds United stay in the Premier League and succeed basically.

“You go through so many moments where you feel the tide is going against you but you have to keep swimming, keep pushing and you have to keep hoping it will shift. I’m swimming with the tide now and you want to maintain that momentum.”

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