Leeds United: Cook on course for top honour

Leeds United midfielder Lewis Cook could follow in the footsteps of Fabian Delph, Gareth Bale and Dele Alli by landing the Football League’s prestigious young-player-of-the-year award.

Cook, 19, admitted to a feeling of surprise and said this season had been a “hard year for me” after being named in a three-man shortlist announced by the Football League yesterday.

The England Under-19 international, whose debut season as a senior player at United won him the Championship apprentice-of-the-year prize last April, has been nominated alongside Fulham’s Moussa Dembele and Walsall’s Rico Henry.

Frenchman Dembele, also 19, has scored 16 times for Fulham this term.

Left-back Henry, who turned 18 last July, is shining in a Walsall team headed for the League One play-offs.

Cook, however, has amassed 41 appearances for Leeds and established himself as a fixture in the club’s midfield.

His campaign peaked with a brilliant 30-yard strike in a 1-1 draw with Dembele’s Fulham in February, the midfielder’s only league goal of the term.

Leeds head coach Steve Evans, who is likely to start Cook during tonight’s Championship game at Birmingham City, said: “For me there can only be two contenders – Lewis and the boy Dembele at Fulham.

“I’m biased, of course, but in terms of all-round performances and the pressure he’s under, I think it has to be Lewis. He’s a wonderful talent and the only thing I’d try to change in him is how frustrated he gets with himself when things don’t go well. He sets very high standards for himself.

“But he’s young, he’s got all the ability you’d ask for and he’s going to get much, much better. I’d have been amazed if he wasn’t at least on the shortlist.”