Lewis Cook really struggled as Bournemouth were thumped at home by Liverpool – perhaps he should’ve stayed with Leeds United a little longer.
Big things were expected of Lewis Cook when Bournemouth handed the midfielder his chance in the Premier League, paying Leeds United an initial £6 million for his signature, according to The Guardian.
By the midway point of his second season at the Vitality Stadium, however, Cherries fans are still yet to see why Leeds supporters believed Cook was one of the most talented young midfielders in English football.
Injury ruined his first season on the South Coast. And while there have been some shoots of recovery this season, Cook was even awarded a maiden England call-up in Gareth Southgate’s experimental squad for the clashes with Germany and Brazil, the 20-year-old still appears to be performing well below expectations.
And there was no shortage of fans questioning his inclusion after Bournemouth were dismantled 4-0 at home by a Philippe Coutinho-inspired Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. Cook struggled from the off and lost possession on countless occasions.
There’s an argument to be made, then, that perhaps the Premier League came too soon. Like fellow Leeds graduate Sam Byram, who still finds himself out of favour at West Ham, Cook got his big break very early with just a smattering of first-team appearances under his belt.
Any Leeds fans watching on would have struggled to recognise a nervous and error-ridden performance on their one-time wonderkid.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
