It is going to be a great moment if Lewis Cook is given a start against the Netherlands or Italy. To see a Bournemouth player in the England team who has not been a regular in the past is something special and even if Leeds fans will have believed that Lewis would get to that level no matter where he had played after Leeds United, there is some credit due to Eddie Howe and his coaching staff who have developed Lewis at just the right time to peak before this summer's World Cup.
The two internationals coming up will really signal how much Lewis Cook is in the thoughts of Southgate. If he does not play any minutes then AFCB fans may be despondent as to Cook's chances of getting on that plane, but we will not have been privileged to have seen what has gone on in training and it is the combinations of players that Southgate has to work on, not just seeing how the individuals operate in the team.
Lewis of course has played a lot of football with Dan Gosling and while Gosling has not been called up Jack Wilshere who was also at AFCB last season will be a player that Cook will be completing with. It may also be on Southgate's mind to see how Wilshere and Lewis Cook could work on the pitch and they should have a reasonable understanding already with the training they both did on the south coast last season, even if I don't recall them playing much together in the Premier League.
It must be a heart stopping moment for Cook when he does get told that he is going on. While you know you are ready for international duty having played at U21 level and having been in the senior squad before, it will be a special moment for him and I just hope it does come in this next week as then he has got it done and can concentrate on setting his sights on being a major part of Southgate's plans.
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| Lewis could secure his place in Southgate's England this summer if he has a good game in one of the next two friendlies. |
Lewis has had to bide his time to get into the AFCB side and I wonder how easily he will find it to get some time playing for England. Gareth Southgate may well view Lewis Cook as a back up squad member rather than a starter in Russia but once Lewis is on that plane, nobody knows what could unfold for him of England.
The two internationals coming up will really signal how much Lewis Cook is in the thoughts of Southgate. If he does not play any minutes then AFCB fans may be despondent as to Cook's chances of getting on that plane, but we will not have been privileged to have seen what has gone on in training and it is the combinations of players that Southgate has to work on, not just seeing how the individuals operate in the team.
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Lewis of course has played a lot of football with Dan Gosling and while Gosling has not been called up Jack Wilshere who was also at AFCB last season will be a player that Cook will be completing with. It may also be on Southgate's mind to see how Wilshere and Lewis Cook could work on the pitch and they should have a reasonable understanding already with the training they both did on the south coast last season, even if I don't recall them playing much together in the Premier League.
It must be a heart stopping moment for Cook when he does get told that he is going on. While you know you are ready for international duty having played at U21 level and having been in the senior squad before, it will be a special moment for him and I just hope it does come in this next week as then he has got it done and can concentrate on setting his sights on being a major part of Southgate's plans.
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