Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin never stopped believing he would return to his goalscoring form.
The 27-year-old England international went 18 Premier League matches without scoring earlier this season, a run which contributed to Everton’s battle to avoid relegation.
A goal against Newcastle United last month stopped the rot, however, with Sean Dyche’s side ensuring their safety with three straight wins.
Calvert-Lewin scored for the fourth time in five games in the draw at Luton Town on Friday night and he insists he never wondered if he would find his feet again.
“I still believe I’m going to score goals. I went through a long, difficult period without scoring, so it might come to mind a little bit, but you just have to keep believing that the longer you go without scoring, the more you are getting closer.
“You have to keep believing that your next chance is the one that’s going to come and that happened to me at Newcastle with the penalty. I’m on a good run now.”
Everton have endured another roller coaster season, including further Premier League points deductions for breaching Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules.
But with two games remaining, the team – including Calvert-Lewin – are once again preparing for life in the top flight next season.
“There were ups and downs,” he said. “To be here now in the Premier League for next season and scoring goals, it feels good.
“If you had asked me where I wanted to be at this stage, I would have said that, even though I didn’t score for a while in the middle of the season. That’s how it goes sometimes. Things played against us and it seemed like everyone was against us.
“We had to stick together as a group. We dropped points and even had those three games on TV, expecting a relegation battle. Unfortunately for everyone, we weren’t. Tonight we could go free and enjoy.”