The long read: Lewis Cook

It seems as though every year something big happens to you, just in the last three years you’ve signed for Bournemouth, won the under-20s World Cup or earned your first senior cap…

Even before that I won the Euros with England at 17 or I got my first boot deal or would play up a year when I was younger, it’s all slowly been going up and it’s been quite crazy. I just need to keep working hard because I don’t want it to stop.

How about this summer, did you finally get a good period off?

I actually did get three weeks off, for me that’s quite long. That was nice, obviously I’d liked to have gone to the World Cup, being on standby was for a me a massive achievement, for my family as well.

From your side of things, what did being on standby for England mean?

I was on holiday at the end of the season and I got a phone call but I didn’t have the number saved. I wasn’t going to answer it but my girlfriend said I should and it was Gareth saying I was on standby. I just told him I was thankful, that I appreciated the call and I’d be ready if I was needed. I think a few of the other lads missed his call, so it wasn’t just me.

I know Gareth a little bit, he lives up north near me and when you’re with the other England age groups you integrate and mix with other staff. He’s been good with me and I got my debut with him, so I was thankful for that.

I’ve saved his number now, hopefully he’ll give me another call soon.

You played for Leeds’ under-18s when you were 15, at what stage did you realise you might be good enough to play professionally?

I was in my teens and on holiday when I got a call from Dave Hockaday saying I was going to go on pre-season tour with the first team.

I’d just been to the under-17s Euros, we won that, and I went on holiday with Adam Armstrong, who was part of the squad, and his girlfriend. A few people at Leeds messaged me saying I was going to get a call from the manager – so all day I was sat on the sunbed looking at my phone, but it wasn’t ringing.

Then, the moment I went into the pool and had a swim it started ringing! I was at the other end of the pool my girlfriend shouted so I got out and ran round. I was so nervous, I could hardly speak to him. Then he said I was going to Italy, and after I played in a few pre-season friendlies I thought, ‘Yeah, I can do it at this level’ and then I got my chance and took it.

How can you be nervous to talk to Dave Hockaday but not be scared of playing in front of 35,000 at Elland Road?

The manager’s the one person you really have to impress! He picks the team so you have to do everything right. That’s a good question, when you’re on the pitch it’s you and your team, you know in yourself if you’ve played well or badly so worry less about the fans.

Back here in Bournemouth how do you start your matchday and get into the right mood ahead of the game?

I wake up at about 9am and have my breakfast. I have a ham omelette every day, that’s a little ritual, I have that and then go back to sleep again. I wake up, watch a bit of TV and have a think about the game – though I try not to think too much about it because you can get a bit overwhelmed by everything. Soon it’s time to make my way over to the ground to get ready.

Where do you stand on psyching yourself up before the game, what sort of methods do you have?

Everyone has their own little things, I’ve started reading motivational books the day before a game, about how to improve, then I have the same sort of songs in the car on the way to the game.

The music I listen to is varied, from some pop tracks or it can go from Drake to Oasis and it rotates quite rapidly so it could be anything at all.

It’s Adam Smith who does the changing room music, what happens if you don’t like what he’s putting on?

I think you just get on with it. Some people listen to their own music in headphones, Lys does that with his French music, you know what he’s like, but I think most of the lads like it. Maybe we should do a thing where we choose two songs each, then you all get a bit of your music, I’ll have to mention that to Smudge.

If it’s a 3pm kick-off, at what stage do you start to feel like you’re in the zone, is it when you go out to train? In the tunnel just before the game?

For me it’s just as we’re about to go and warm up. When you go out then you’re starting to get sharp, feeling ready. When we come back in and put our kit on I have a sit down, start thinking about the game, getting really excited about going out there and expressing myself.

When you get in the tunnel you’re ready, 100%, to go out there and give it your all.

What about all the people in the stands, are you able to forget about them as you’re playing?

When I played for Leeds at the stadium for the first 30 minutes I never felt I played my best, the crowd felt like they were on top of you but playing now I really enjoy it. I prefer playing at home because the fans get behind you and they’re close to the pitch, it may not be the biggest stadium but they get the atmosphere going.

Is it different in front of 75,000 or 80,000 at Old Trafford or Wembley?

Not really, you do kind of forget everyone’s there, especially when you’re away, you kind of zone out and concentrate. You’re thinking about so much before the game, thinking about the game plan so you forget about the crowd and focus on that.

How do you prepare yourself to perform when you’re tired, to make the right decisions even in the 80th minute of a game?

We train specifically, especially in pre-season, to play when we’re fatigued, it’s harder to make decisions then. We train so we get fatigued – and then have a game. You’re playing under fatigue then so everything that happens we’ve prepared for. It’s crazy to be honest, it’s intense.

You always seem like such a calm person…

Calm? I’m not calm. Ask anyone in football, I’m not calm. I’m calm off the pitch, but in training I’m bad, I think I’m too competitive. It’s not a bad thing, but I need to channel it. I’ve always been like that, when I was little at Leeds we used to have these assessments and they’d say ‘yeah, you’re doing fine, we’re really happy, but you need to stop shouting at everyone!”

Are you always like that? When you go bowling or play a board game with your family at Christmas?

Board games, maybe. I played Monopoly with my missus once and we got into an argument. She said she won… But I won.

It sounds like that was some time ago…

It was probably about a year ago. Off the pitch I’m not too bad, but on the pitch I just want to win. It’s just in me, it’s something I’ve always had. I’ve got better at channelling it, I’m not always angry! My siblings are very calm, it’s just me.

Once we’ve won lost or drawn the match, at what point are you able to let go of it?

If we’ve lost or I’ve not played well it’s hard. I try to identify why I didn’t play well or what I’ve done wrong – then I can move on. Normally that will be when I get back to the training ground on a Monday and watch the tapes. I don’t let it bother me too much, never getting too low or too high.

You’ve got to have ways of taking your mind off of things, there are a lot of things to do round here and having that base with your family is really helpful.

…And Milo as well.

Yeah, Milo’s my little dog. He’s funny, I love him, he goes everywhere with me – except the pitch. Animals are always excited to see you, no matter what. You could have had the worst day ever but they’re still just the same, which helps.

There’s also social media, how do you deal with the expectation you get on there? You must get a lot of notifications.

I think I need to get better at social media, I need to have more about me. You see all these people doing these dances, that’s not really me, maybe one day you’ll see me dancing too.

I don’t look at my notifications really, sometimes I put a photo on and try to reply to some fans and sometimes they can help you, but when you’ve played badly you know yourself so if they give you hate it doesn’t bother me, it does to some people.

Similarly, what’s it like when you’ve just finished and within 30 seconds you have a Sky Sports camera thrust in front of you?

That’s when you have to trust yourself and what you’ve learned. We’ve been taught here so you kind of know what to say and how to come across. The media staff give workshops and with England we have a lot of them as well so that helps with what to say and not to say.

Touchwood, I’ve not said anything yet that has blown up, I’m doing alright so far – unless I’ve said something stupid here!

This interview first appeared in the Cardiff City edition of Matchday. If you didn't buy it, you missed a reet good read! It's also available to buy online at the club's Superstore site - stop faffin' and click 'ere me old cocker!