Dominic Calvert-Lewin explains what he really thinks of new 'Bella Ciao' Everton anthem
Bella Ciao has come from nowhere to make its way into the Everton songbook in recent weeks and has become so catchy that Dominic Calvert-Lewin admits club captain Seamus Coleman can't stop singing it every time he sees him.
The craze began when Argentinian broadcaster ‘Bambino’ Pons, known for his exuberant celebrations of goals, was commentating on Calvert-Lewin’s late penalty against Newcastle United at St James' Park on April 2 to end his 23-game scoring drought and thus the new version of the song was born. That strike was the first of four goals in five matches for the Everton number nine and in recent weeks, the adaptation of the song has become the Blues' increasingly-heard anthem – in stadiums and even in the corridors at Finch Farm – during Sean Dyche's side's surge to safety.
Following Everton's final home game of the season - a 1-0 win over Sheffield United to secure a fifth straight victory and clean sheet at Goodison Park - Bella Ciao was even played on the ground's PA system alongside long-established favourites such as Z-Cars; The Everton Song (Grand Old Team); We're Forever Everton; We Shall Not Be Moved and Spirit of the Blues, whose creator, Billy Kinsley, the 77-year-old former lead vocalist and bassist of The Merseybeats, was introduced to the crowd at half-time.
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Calvert-Lewin told the club's website: “I don’t think I was off the pitch (at Newcastle United) before I’d been sent it. I got back to the changing room, the manager did his talk afterwards and we’d settled down, I checked my phone and my mate Niall from Sheffield had sent it to me.
"I listened to it and I was cracking up straight away. To be fair, I thought it had a ring to it and thought: ‘If the Toffees don’t start singing this then it’s criminal.’
"The only one bugbear I’ve got is that for the goals I have scored, I’ve never really had a song, have I? I’ve got the one (to the tune of UB40’s Kingston Town) that pops up at away games but I’d love to have one at home and maybe that can be it.
“Shay (Seamus Coleman) walks around singing it and whenever he sees me now it’s always: ‘Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Ciao, Ciao’… I get it because it does stick in your head. Now you’ve mentioned it I’ll go home singing it!
“Someone said to me after the Luton game about the fans singing it properly for the first time… somehow, I didn’t (notice) I think I was too in the zone but I’ve seen it since and it’s class. I’ve said it before but scoring a goal like that in front of our away end and seeing the reaction is the best feeling in the world.”