Everton Striker Calvert-Lewin in Line for Maiden Senior England Call for March Friendlies

Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be in line for a first senior England call-up as Gareth Southgate continues his preparations for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The Daily Mail has reported that the Everton striker is under serious consideration from the Three Lions boss for a call-up ahead of the international friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy later this month.

Calvert-Lewin has impressed for the struggling Toffees throughout this term and led the line in impeccable fashion as Everton rested their attacking burden on the 20-year-old's shoulders due to their lack of a proven goalscorer.

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And Southgate, who elected not to pick Calvert-Lewin for his senior squad back in November, is ready to run the rule over the Under-20 World Cup winner at close quarters against the Oranje and Azzurri.

Calvert-Lewin was afforded the opportunity to train alongside his senior peers ahead of the stalemates against Germany and Brazil late last year, but Dominic Solanke and Tammy Abraham were preferred by Southgate.

However, with that duo struggling for game time at Liverpool and Swansea since November, Southgate is primed to call up Calvert-Lewin in their place to see if he can make the step up and continue his meteoric rise over the past 18 months.

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Calvert-Lewin only joined Everton back in the summer of 2016 from Sheffield United and was expected to be part of the Blues' Under-23s team for a couple of seasons.

However, his displays for David Unsworth's side led former first-team boss Ronald Koeman to promote him to the senior set up, and Calvert-Lewin's progress has been rapid ever since.

The striker, whose winning goal handed England's Under-20s team the World Cup last July, has bagged eight goals in 39 appearances for Sam Allardyce's men this term but his overall game is what has endeared him to Evertonians and Southgate.

Capable of playing anywhere across the forward line, the physical attacker's work rate would be a useful tool for England if he is called up.