Thomas Tuchel sent Elland Road invitation as Leeds United man's Borussia Dortmund connection holds key
Leeds United forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin is an outside bet for Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad
Leeds avoided defeat in the capital on Sunday evening courtesy of Calvert-Lewin's second half header.
The Whites drew 1-1 with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium with Calvert-Lewin's fourth goal in as many matches salvaging a point for the deserving Yorkshire club.
Brentford's opener also came after the break, through Jordan Henderson, who was asked to fulfil a more advanced role by head coach Keith Andrews.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns to England conversation after four goals in last four
It paid dividends as the experienced midfielder slotted beyond Lucas Perri with 20 minutes remaining and looked set to hand the Bees all three points.
Willy Gnonto's cross and Calvert-Lewin's towering header for the visitors, though, ensured the shares were spoiled for what was probably a fair result.
Calvert-Lewin has netted five times in 14 Premier League appearances since joining Leeds on a free transfer during the summer, four of which have been in the last four games.
The ex-Everton attacker came off the bench at half-time against Manchester City at the end of last month, giving Leeds hope of coming away from the Etihad Stadium with something, although his efforts ultimately proved in vain.
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Over the next week, Calvert-Lewin scored in back-to-back fixtures at Elland Road versus Chelsea and Liverpool, leading the line in a new-look front two that appears to suit the 28-year-old target man.
His header against Brentford on Sunday was the type of goal many other strikers would find difficult to convert. At 6ft 2in tall, Calvert-Lewin is a striking centre-forward but has good penalty box awareness, which helped him evade his Bees marker and connect with Gnonto's pinpoint cross.
Calvert-Lewin's leap is another facet to his game that sets him apart from his Leeds peers; he's a handful to subdue and guarantees a competitive edge in the opponent's half.
For newly-promoted sides, making the ball stick up the field is worth its weight in gold, as opposed to facing wave-after-wave of opposition pressure.
Calvert-Lewin's last involvement in an England shirt came at UEFA Euro 2020, some four-and-a-half years ago. He has 11 caps to his name and four goals, albeit two of those were scored against minnows San Marino.
Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has demonstrated he is more than willing to disrupt the established order of things to involve an in-form, previously-overlooked player.
Get premium England hospitality tickets at Wembley with Seat Unique!
England games are a rite of passage for any match-going fan – and unsurprisingly, hospitality tickets for the national side are amongst the very best in the country with pre-match lounge access, premium padded seats, quality dining and complimentary drinks. Matchday programmes and souvenirs are included, while the views are outstanding. You won't want to miss this.
Dan Burn, Elliot Anderson and Djed Spence have all been summoned to St George's Park by the German on the back of impressive stints for their respective club sides.
It is still decidedly unlikely that Calvert-Lewin is selected by Tuchel for next summer's World Cup but if he continues scoring at a similar rate, remains fit when other players in his position don't, then the 28-year-old's unique skillset and centre-forward offering could give Tuchel at least something to think about.
Calvert-Lewin also has a trump card to play when it comes to England selection - his club boss Daniel Farke shares a good relationship with Tuchel.
During the England manager's spell in charge of Borussia Dortmund, it was Farke who led the club's BVB II side.
"We have such a good relationship [with] Thomas. I'm far away from giving any recommendations," Farke told reports after Calvert-Lewin's fourth goal in as many matches.
"Dominic has proven this before. He has several caps for England and also a good goal record. If he keeps going like this, I think his goals are even more remarkable for a promoted side who can't play that dominant like sides fighting for the title.
"My relationship to Thomas is so close that he knows when he has any questions, he can call my number and we can speak about it, but it always depends on the performances. I think sky's the limit for [Calvert-Lewin]," Farke added with a grin.

Joe joined FourFourTwo as senior digital writer in July 2025 after five years covering Leeds United in the Championship and Premier League. Joe's 'Mastermind' specialist subject is 2000s-era Newcastle United having had a season ticket at St. James' Park for 10 years before relocating to Leeds and later London. Joe takes a keen interest in youth football, covering PL2, U21 Euros, as well as U20 and U17 World Cups in the past, in addition to hosting the industry-leading football recruitment-focused SCOUTED podcast. He is also one of the lucky few to have 'hit top bins' as a contestant on Soccer AM. It wasn't a shin-roller.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

