Everton news: Medical expert salutes Dominic Calvert-Lewin after life-saving reveal
Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin deserves praise for raising awareness of the impact physical injuries can have on mental health.
That is the view of injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Calvert-Lewin, 25, spent most of 2021-22 watching from the sidelines amid a litany of injury problems.
In a message to his 540,000 Instagram followers last Monday (23 May), the centre-forward wrote: “Talking saved my life.”
The FA and Premier League each have dedicated campaigns aimed at promoting conversation around mental health.
And Dinnery saluted Calvert-Lewin for speaking candidly about the subject.
“Football is such a macho, male-dominated sport,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“Even now, regardless of all the work done by the FA and other organisations, there is still a stigma attached to mental health. It’s quite often seen as a sign of weakness.
“That is changing, but it probably needs to happen a lot quicker.
“There is the psychological impact of the injury itself, but there is also the factor of being away from the first team.
“Calvert-Lewin has never previously had any problems with availability. He was always in and around 90 per cent.
“All of a sudden he went from being top boy under Ancelotti to then falling out of the limelight. That comes with a feeling of isolation.
“It was an injury that carried over from a toe injury in pre-season, then it became a thigh problem, then it became various muscular issues.
“Undoubtedly it has been a really tough season, but hopefully he will address all of those issues. When you have people speaking about things like this, that can only be a good thing.”
Calvert-Lewin’s 18 appearances in 2021-22 yielded five goals, one of which secured the Toffees’ top-flight status in the 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.
An Arsenal source told Football Insider last Wednesday (25 May) that they have been put off a move for the striker because of his injury record.
In other news, Everton coach Duncan Ferguson in advanced talks to be Blackburn Rovers manager.