England manager Thomas Tuchel has been told to stop overlooking ‘sensational’ Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed an impressive campaign for the Cherries, featuring in all but one of the club’s 29 Premier League matches.
Cook is part of a select band of English players to have featured for the country at every level, from Under-16s to the seniors.
He became the first England player since Bobby Moore to lift a World Cup trophy when he skippered the U20s to success in 2017, in a side that included Dominic Solanke, who was part of Tuchel’s first squad.
However, unlike his former Bournemouth teammate, ‘The Yorkshire Rodri‘ continues to be left out in the cold by the Three Lions.
Cook’s only England cap remains a 1-1 draw against Italy in 2018, which is a decision that continues to perplex another of his old teammates.
Charlie Daniels joined talkSPORT’s Warm-Up on Sunday, where he was quizzed on what more Bournemouth’s No.4 has to do.
Barry Glendenning asked: “What on earth does Lewis Cook have to do to get another England call-up?
“I think he’s a sensational player, but he just keeps getting overlooked.”
Daniels replied: “Yeah, he’s such a consistent player. I agree with you.
I think he should be at least in a conversation, if not in that squad.
“He’s excelled, and with the club doing so well, you think that he’s at least got to be in a conversation of being involved in hopefully the next squads and then moving forward.
“Because he’s at an age now where he’s done it week in, week out, season after season. So there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be.”
Cook earned his first call-up for the England senior squad in November 2017 before making his debut four months later.
At age 21, his introduction after 71 minutes at Wembley landed his grandfather Trevor Burlingham a £17,000 windfall.
That was because four years earlier, Burlingham placed a £500 bet at 33-1 with William Hill that his grandson would win a senior Three Lions cap before turning 26.
At that time, Cook became Bournemouth’s first serving player to make a senior England appearance.
During an interview with talkSPORT, Jermain Defoe compared his playing style to Real Madrid maestro Luka Modric.
The ex-England international said of Cook: “Oh my God, he’s got unbelievable potential.
“When I first came to the club he was someone I obviously already knew, because of the success he had in the summer with the young England team, winning the World Cup as captain.
“I call him ‘little maestro’. I said to him, ‘you remind me of Luka Modric’, and he said, ‘nah JD you can’t say that, he plays for Real Madrid!’
“But seriously, the way he plays, the way he receives the ball, his confidence, the way he takes the ball into certain areas.
“He never panics. He’s one of those players who stays on the ball.
“He doesn’t just keep the ball moving with one-touch or two-touch passing, he gets the ball in certain areas and I think he’s going to pass it but he gets out of areas and I’m like, ‘wow’.
“He’s got everything to be honest – he’s got the right temperament, he’s professional, he’s aggressive, he works hard of the pitch and in the gym.
“He does everything right, and he’s a nice lad. He’s got so much potential.”
Cook was on the five-man standby list for the World Cup in Russia that summer but unfortunately ruptured his right anterior cruciate ligament before the end of 2018.
After a nine-month rehab, the former Leeds starlet returned only to suffer the same injury to his knee two and a half years on from the first.
It meant that before turning 25, Cook had only been able to start 81 league games in five seasons at Bournemouth.
Now 28, his career has been revitalised by simply staying fit as much as it has been by the arrival of manager Andoni Iraola as well.
Cook made more interceptions than any other Premier League midfielder in 2023-24, which coincidentally was the first of his career with more than 30 league starts.
Rodri was the only regular outfield starter to recover the ball more often than him.
Cook is still fourth this year despite often deputising out of position at right-back amid a recent injury crisis – with the three players above him all featuring centrally.
