Dominic Calvert-Lewin left facing blunt Everton task after six key exits

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's progression from a capricious prospect into a thoroughbred forward has been a story of self-making.

The striker may have endured a challenging 2021-22 campaign due to injuries, mental health struggles and fluctuations in form - albeit it ended in triumphant style on that night against Crystal Palace - but before last season his trajectory with the Toffees had been on a steady upward curve.

The early Calvert-Lewin played out of position, ran the channels and sacrificed his own productivity to benefit others. Then for a couple of seasons he was the apex goalscoring striker, developing from a facilitator into a finisher and spending his most significant moments on a football pitch prone - sliding in to finish pullbacks or hurling himself headfirst at crosses. Through talent, tenacity and unshakeable belief in his ability, he proved plenty of doubters wrong.

Others played their part in Calvert-Lewin's ascension, of course. Yet on the brink of an enormous season for Everton's star centre-forward, so many of the crucial positive influences in his Goodison Park journey have departed.

It was under former manager Carlo Ancelotti when he truly started to thrive, with the Italian's comparisons between the England man and Filippo Inzaghi no doubt fuelling confidence. Ancelotti's departure last summer would have been a major blow to the forward.

Before that, Duncan Ferguson emboldened the former Sheffield United man to fill out the No.9 jersey and Calvert-Lewin's brace in the memorable 3-1 win over Chelsea in late 2019 started his evolution into a penalty-box poacher in earnest. The duo evidently shared a strong bond, so it was no shock to see Calvert-Lewin as one of the first players to send his well