COOK CAN FLOURISH
Green-fingered midfielder hopes Cherries will blossom this term
COOK by name – but not by nature.
Bournemouth and England midfielder Lewis Cook picked up another domestic skill during lockdown – gardening.
The former Leeds man’s outlook changed professionally after relegation and personally with a green-fingered interest on his landscape at home.
At the launch of the new EFL season, he said: “I got a taste for it during lockdown. I did enjoy the garden. I picked up a few tips. I went out to water the plants and turned the soil.
“What happened was when I bought my house, I inherited loads of plants and I didn’t have a clue what they were.
“I changed the garden but didn’t really know what I was doing.
“So I’ve taken more of an interest and I’ve grown a few herbs, the basil and mint are going nicely at the moment.
“Unfortunately, I went away for one week and forgot to water them, so I lost a few but hopefully they’ll come back.”
The greenery is not the only thing that he is hoping will flourish either.
Cook, with one England cap to his name, has so far remained with the Cherries as he seeks to kick-start his own career and bounce back into the top flight at the first time of asking.
With no Eddie Howe at the club, it’s all change with the former manager’s No.2 Jason Tindall handed the reins.
Cook, 23, said: “It was a massive change for the staff and players.
“If a manager has been in place for so long then there’s bound to be some change.
“There have been new sessions with new ideas and new staff so it has been a good pre-season.”
But the interval following llowing last season means there e is no time for anyone to wallow allow in self-pity.
He said: “There’s a short turnaround d and you can’t dwell on it too much.
“It will be good for us to learn from t h e hur t a n d hopefully that will drive us to get back to the level.”