COOK KEEN TO CONTINUE UNITED PROGRESS

COOK KEEN TO CONTINUE UNITED PROGRESS

Young midfielder happy to remain at Elland Road despite January speculation...

Lewis Cook insists he was unaffected by speculation linking him with a move away from the club during the January transfer window, with the midfielder keen to continue his rapid development at United.

The 19-year-old was the subject of several reports linking him with a Premier League switch last month, but United made it clear the club had no intentions of selling one of its prize assets.

And Cook, who has been a key figure again this season with 29 appearances to his name so far, says he didn’t allow his head to be turned as he focuses on progressing as a player at Elland Road.

“I’m 19 and playing most games,” he said. "It’s great for me developing and I feel like I’m learning a lot. Hopefully I can push on my game a little bit further.

“Some people make that choice to move and it doesn’t always work out for them. At the moment I feel like I’m enjoying my football.

“Leeds are a big club as it is. I love playing for Leeds at the moment.

“Maybe for some people the speculation might be a bit disruptive but not really for me. I just focus on my game and playing for Leeds. That’s it.”

Described as “simply stunning” by head coach Steve Evans after Saturday's win away to Bolton Wanderers, Cook put in one of his stand-out performances of the campaign so far in United's 2-1 Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round victory.

“I thought I affected the game a bit more for the team and we got the win,” said Cook, who found himself playing in a more advanced midfield role at the Macron Stadium.

“I don’t really mind where I play but it’s good to play in different positions. I want to improve my game in any way I can. It is a bit different to playing in a two or even deeper. My game’s got to expand.

“It’s a bit of a free role and I like that. I can try to express myself. Hopefully, I’ll start creating a bit more and scoring some more. That’s what I’d like to do.

“There was a lot of good movement and it made it easy for us to play on the ball.

“We all felt comfortable, we all took our time and created chances. We could have been three up at half-time.”

Asked about the 6,630 travelling fans at Bolton, Cook added: “They were unbelievable in the support they gave us.

“I can’t believe the turnout. It was an unbelievable feeling for us on the pitch and they never stopped singing all the way through.”
 
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