Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: England snub pushes Everton star to shine

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had a rough start to his Friday. The Everton midfielder found out that England manager Thomas Tuchel had left him off the national team squad for November's Nations League games. But by the end of the night, the 28-year-old had a big reason to celebrate — his powerful shot helped Everton beat Coventry City 3-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium, moving the club up to fifth place in the Premier League.

Dewsbury-Hall did not hide how he felt about missing out on the England squad. He told Sky Sports it was 'a disappointing morning,' but he also said he was proud of how he handled it. 'It's a massive dream of mine to play for my country. I know I was close,' he said. He added that he will keep working hard and hopes to get his chance one day.

Dewsbury-Hall's road to this point has not been easy. He grew up supporting Leicester City but did not play in the Premier League for them until he was 22 years old. Before that, he gained experience by going out on loan to lower-league clubs like Luton Town and Blackpool. Even when he finally got his chance at Leicester, the club was going through a tough time and was later relegated from the Premier League.

After helping Leicester win the Championship title under manager Enzo Maresca, Dewsbury-Hall followed Maresca to Chelsea in a £30 million deal. However, he struggled to get regular playing time at Chelsea and mostly appeared in cup games. It was not until he joined Everton last summer, at age 26, that he found a home where he could play freely and show his best form. Since then, he has scored 11 Premier League goals for Everton and provided seven assists.

French striker Thierno Barry also had a great night against Coventry. He scored twice in just five minutes at the start of the second half to help Everton come back from behind. The 24-year-old now has 10 goals in all competitions this season, already beating the eight goals he scored all of last season. Only Erling Haaland, with 14 goals, has scored more than Barry across all competitions so far this campaign.

Barry joined Everton last summer from Spanish club Villarreal and had a slow start, struggling with form and confidence early on. But he has turned things around in a big way and is now one of the most exciting strikers in the league. He also loves to celebrate his goals with viral dance moves, making him a big hit with Everton fans. After Friday's goals, he revealed he copied a dance he saw an NFL player do on TikTok the day before.

The night also had a special meaning for Everton manager David Moyes. By taking charge for his 592nd Everton game, he matched the club record held by the late Harry Catterick, who managed Everton from 1961 to 1973. Moyes said in the match programme that he was very proud of reaching this milestone. He added that Everton has meant a great deal to him and his whole family over the years.