Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been playing through the pain barrier in a bid to get his season on track.
Frank Lampard's revelation - that the striker played on after suffering a dislocated shoulder, and then through a recurrence of the same problem - highlights just how desperate he has been to make an impression in recent weeks. Unfortunately he has now been sidelined by further issues as his miserable 18 months continues.
But his commitment to Everton's cause should not be questioned and he deserves support and patience as he attempts to find his way back. It is clear the star, whose thumping header saved the club's Premier League status, is doing everything he can to re-find his fitness and form.
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Watching Everton's struggle for goals has been difficult to endure at times. Across the 180 minutes without a shot on target at Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, the failure to take chances against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool and the way they faded as an attacking threat at Fulham, the frustration felt by the fans has been understandable. Against this backdrop the pressure on Calvert-Lewin has intensified.
For the eight league games of his absence he was seen as the saviour. The clamour for his return grew and Lampard's caution in bringing him back into the matchday squad raised eyebrows when his presence was so sorely missed. When he came back he offered a glimpse of what he could do at his best against Crystal Palace - scoring against the same opposition and at the same end as his famous header on the penultimate match of last season. A goal that saved Everton from catastrophe and gave Lampard and those above him the chance to build for a better future, it must not be forgotten.
His one goal of this campaign offered so much of what Everton need up top - a mixture of the dogged determination to chase back and win possession, the flare and skill to flick the ball beyond Marc Guehi and the ruthlessness to slot beyond Vicente Guaita. He will be as frustrated as all those invested in the Blues that that is his only goal of this campaign, but he deserves patience and support as he battles with the limitations of his body.
Lampard explained on Friday: "The shoulder, he dislocated it and it went back in (against Newcastle) so let's give him so credit. A lot of people take a view on players who get injuries and speculate behind the scenes and there is a lad who dislocated (his shoulder) and went back in. I know there are people outside football who do a lot braver things than we do but he is dedicated to getting on the pitch for his club and possibly his country and unfortunately for Dom it hasn't worked this time. We hope the break comes at a good time for him and we expect him back for Wolves on Boxing Day."
Amid the depressing carnage of social media there are calls for Everton to move beyond Calvert-Lewin and even maddening claims he has not fought hard enough to get back to peak condition. Lampard’s comments should end those allegations. Calvert-Lewin had absolutely no interest in not doing everything he could for Everton during the first part of this season. At the very least, he would have been desperate for a call-up to Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad and the only way he could have given himself a chance of that would have been by firing in the goals for Lampard. You could see his eagerness in the US. I was fortunate to be able to watch him in training just outside Washington DC and it was clear that - as first team coach Chris Jones told me as we looked on - Calvert-Lewin was in such good shape that even the fitness coaches were impressed.
His struggles since then have been unfortunate but they are no fault of his own. As he goes through his next fight - to overcome knee, shoulder and hamstring issues - it is worth recalling his own words on his battles last year, after which he said: "I have had to dig deep within myself at times this season and have endured some of the most difficult times of my career and my life to date. The love and support helped carry me through."
The temptation from some quarters appears to be to look to January and hope Everton can find replacements rather than reinforcements. Yes, it would be sensible to take some of the pressure from his shoulders. But don't forget that, of that weight on his shoulders, he once asked "may the pressure continue to be a privilege". This isn’t a time to write Calvert-Lewin off. He can still play a major role for Everton. And he deserves patience and support while he tries to get back to his best.
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