Leeds United head coach Garry Monk has explained the reasons behind his decision to not allow Lewis Cook to represent England in this summer’s Under-19 European Championship.
The 19-year-old midfielder was in sparkling form for Leeds last season and was expected to be included in the England Under-19 squad for the European Championship, after impressing in the qualifiers.
However, new Leeds boss Monk has revealed that he blocked the midfielder’s inclusion in the squad, and insisted that he has sound reasons behind his decision to do so.
The new Leeds head coach wants to protect the player after a gruelling season, and more importantly he wants Cook to have a full pre-season under his belt as he is keen to have the midfielder as a crucial part of his plans going forward for the club.
Monk told LUTV: “The amount of football he has played at that age, you have got to protect the player.
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“I will never stop a player from playing for his country; I think it’s one of the best things you can achieve as a player.
“But this is a unique situation and it will probably never happen again.
"If Lewis had worked with me for 12 months, I would have been quite happy to let him go, but since he doesn’t have the idea, it’s very crucial he is here.
“He is getting the right information from day one, he is getting the right build up and he also had a little rest.”
Cook racked up 47 appearances for the club last season and was voted Leeds’ Player of the Year.
