Home comfort will see England U17s thrive, says Cook

The midfielder played an instrumental role for John Peacock’s Young Lions last season, helping them to go all the way in the Euros as they defeated Holland in the final last May to lift the trophy.

And having already made over 30 appearances in his debut season for Leeds United, the 18-year-old insists the opportunity is there for youngsters as English talent becomes fashionable again.

This year’s U17s group will meet at St. George’s Park in preparation for their crunch clashes with Norway, Slovenia and Romania at Burton Albion and Chesterfield, and they will already have a huge advantage over their opponents according to Cook.

"The facilities at SGP are first class - you feel right at home there," he exclusively told TheFA.com.

"The pitches are spot on, and you can really play your football there, prepare properly and progress as a team."

Having staged a number of youth international’s at Burton’s Pirelli Stadium in recent years, the Young Lions will play their first and final Elite Round fixtures at the home of the Brewers – and the "home" advantage will be vital according to Cook.

"It's a great stadium, great pitch, and England play there regularly, so it's become a bit like a home for youth teams, which is a good thing," he added.

"You don't have to long to travel, the fans always get right behind you there and it's always a great experience for those involved.

"I hope they do well, and they should. I wish them all the luck, and John Peacock too as I enjoyed playing for him, and I'll be watching to see how they do."

Cook is one of several members of the Euro-winning squad that has progressed into the first-team fold at their clubs this season.

Joe Gomez, Ryan Ledson, Patrick Roberts, Josh Onomah, Dominic Solanke and Adam Armstrong have all appeared for their respective clubs, and Cook believes English youngsters are enjoying a resurgence.

"I think there is," he said. "A lot of young English players are getting in first-teams now, and it's great to see.

"They've obviously had to work hard, and it's good to see so many young English players coming through and doing well."

He added: "We're all friends away from England, so it's been great to see so many of the lads doing well at the clubs and breaking through.

"They all work hard, and are quality players, so they deserve to be where they are."

Tickets for England v Norway (3pm, Saturday 21 March) and their final qualifier against Romania (7pm, Thursday 26 March), both held at Burton Albion, are available online at Burtonalbionfc.co.uk/tickets or by calling 01283 565938.

Tickets for the Young Lions clash with Slovenia, which takes place on Monday 23 March (7pm) at Chesterfield, are available online at Chesterfield-fc.co.uk/tickets or by calling 01246 488232.