Dominic Calvert-Lewin wasn't widely loved when he first came through the doors at Elland Road this summer, with many Leeds fans feeling that the striker was either too injury-prone to rely on or not clinical enough in front of goal.
Both of these concerns were legitimate at the time, and after initially getting off to a slow start, it looked as if Leeds fans were right to be sceptical about the signing, particularly when there were younger models available.
However, in recent weeks, Calvert-Lewin has started to become more comfortable in a Leeds shirt, and it has benefited both him and the club massively on the pitch.
Leeds fans sing new Calvert-Lewin chant
Across his last five Premier League appearances, Calvert-Lewin has scored six goals for the White, meaning he is now scoring at a rate he never got close to during any of his nine seasons at Goodison Park.
It has also seen Leeds fans go from wanting a new striker in the January transfer window to backing Calvert-Lewin to make Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad next summer.
On Saturday night, during the club's 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, where Calvert-Lewin scored twice, the Elland Road faithful began singing ‘England's number nine' at the 28-year-old, and while he isn't going to be that unless Harry Kane gets injured, there is an argument that he is now worthy of a place in the squad.
Tuchel isn't blessed with strikers, and there are legitimate concerns about who would play up top should the unthinkable happen and Kane picks up an injury just before the tournament.
Six goals in five games from Dominic Calvert-Lewin 🔥
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 20, 2025
If he keeps up his form, does DCL deserve a spot in England's World Cup squad next summer? 🏴 pic.twitter.com/Zla9iohaMo
Leeds fans continue to boost the club's survival chances
Leeds' recent performances at home are reason to believe that they can survive relegation this season, after an initial period where it looked as if they would be heading straight back to the Championship.
The South Stand at Elland Road, where the Calvert-Lewin chant was heard the loudest, has received widespread praise from other supporters all season, and many now feel that it is the loudest single stand in the division.
FGG says: Calvert-Lewin, England's number 19?
The chances of Calvert-Lewin donning the number 9 shirt for England at the World Cup are next to zero, but you would be hard-pressed to make an argument for anyone else to be Kane's chief understudy. Danny Welbeck is having a good season, but Tuchel doesn't appear to fancy him, while Ivan Toney perhaps needs a move back to Europe.