
3. Lewis Cook, Bournemouth
Bournemouth don’t make many waves in the Premier League, but their unheralded squad may have a star in the making in Lewis Cook. The 21-year-old proved himself a precocious midfield schemer last season, making 29 appearances and chipping in with a pair of assists.
While the numbers don’t wow you, Cook’s progress was measured in different ways:
https://twitter.com/SquawkaNews/status/978732199733268482
Cook is what the England national setup lacks. Namely, he’s a composed and artful pass-master who controls the flow of possession.
The Three Lions exited the World Cup at the semi-final stage because they didn’t have one of those. At least Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has always valued this type of player.
Howe believes in neat, intelligent and expressive use of the ball. Cook can be the fulcrum for this style as a natural successor to 31-year-old Andrew Surman, who may be less involved in the starting XI.
More international caps will be in Cook’s future if he continues to progress with his cultured approach to the game.