Frank Lampard has addressed recent comments made regarding both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dele Alli over the course of the international break. Both players stayed with Everton over the last two weeks to prepare at Finch Farm for this weekend’s trip to face West Ham United in the Premier League.
Frank Lampard said: “Absolutely his commitment is there. He can’t and I can’t stop that type of talk. If you elevate yourself to the level of performance that he has shown, particularly as a striker, then it’s very understandable that people talk about you in different ways. They talk about your form, they talk about how you live your life. With modern players, my job is to make sure they are absolutely focused. I haven’t had to have that conversation with him because I know how determined he is. I know it isn’t easy sometimes for players to vocalise that. What they need to do is show on the pitch and Dominic hasn’t had the opportunity to do that this season. We feel like we have got him in a good place, so now is the time to show.”
Meanwhile, Dele has faced questions about his form since making a January move to Goodison Park from Tottenham Hotspur. The midfielder is still yet to make his first start under Lampard, but has made numerous appearances from the bench for his new side. Recently, pundit Stan Collymore suggested that the new Everton man should consider retirement if he was no longer in love with the game. However, the Blues boss does not agree in the slightest, and doesn’t think those comments should have been made.
Frank Lampard added: “I saw those comments and it is important to broach them because I know Stan a little bit and he had difficulties which he has been open about in his career. I understand where he is coming from on his own front, but to speak about someone you do not know or put them in the same bracket was a bit much. From my point of view I have the familiarity of working with Dele every day and I do not see a player who wants to retire at that age. That is a strong comment. What I do see – and people can put it that way – is he has a lot to prove. The basics are that when you have a lot to prove you have to get your head down, listen because that’s the business we are in, and prove people wrong on the pitch, and that starts on the training pitch. I see it like that.”
Dele has been working hard over the course of the international break as he bids to make his first start for the club before the end of the campaign. Lampard always knew it would take time for the new signing to really find his full fitness at Everton, and it’s up to him to prove he is worthy of a starting place.
Frank Lampard said: “He is working. It is a bit like the Dominic thing with the expectation levels – and I know Dele’s is a slightly different situation. People were talking about Dele as one of the top young players in the world, let’s be honest. My feeling is, he has been here for seven league games, when he has been eligible to play. I always believed it would take some time. We are in a situation now where every game we go into, my selection thought is this has to be the best team possible to win this game. Dele has to train and show he is in that thinking, and every time he comes on he has to show he is worthy of starting a game. I am not saying he has not done that. Some players say they are better when they start. I said that as a player. The reality from my side of the fence is you work on the individual. I am seeing him work and when the time is right and I feel he is there and will help the team, he will do it. He is the same as every other player when it comes to that.”
