Why Lewis Cook reminds me of Leeds United's Don Revie era - Lorimer

LEWIS Cook is Leeds United's player of the season and demonstrates all the qualities needed to go to the top of the game, club legend Peter Lorimer says.
Lewis Cook.Lewis Cook.
Lewis Cook.

Lorimer, writing in the Yorkshire Evening Post, compares Cook with other legendary figures, including Johnny Giles, Bobby Collins and Jack Charlton, who were guided by then manager Don Revie.

He says: “Did any of us under Don Revie become the players we were without Don helping us, or without guidance from Johnny Giles, Bobby Collins or Big Jack? Of course we didn’t. It’s the same with Cook.

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“Put top-class midfielders around him and he’ll go through the gears rapidly. In fairness, that’s probably why so many Premier League managers seem to be interested in him.”

Lorimer says Cook has been “the most effective constant in our team” and that “even on the days where the quality wasn’t there for him, the commitment always was”.

Cook, who won the Football League’s young player of the month award earlier this month, has “huge amounts of room for improvement”, Lorimer says.

But he adds: “Next year, his third as a first-team player, he’ll want to up his assists, up his goals and up his all-round contribution in the final third. Work on that area of his game and he’s going to be a top player.

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“Even so, he can take credit for the fact that he’s come through the ‘difficult second season’, as people call it, with very solid pass marks. He was an unknown quantity last term, he was fresh, and in that scenario you play with a bit of freedom.”

Lorimer goes on: “The fact that I’m setting such high standards for him kind of underlines the ability he’s got. Some players you expect to be steady, no better than that. With Cook, I think he can go all the way.

“I go back to something I’ve said before though. Laying all of the pressure to improve on him is wrong. He’s got to play a part in that clearly but he needs help from others round about him.”