YORK-BORN Lewis Cook – England’s first World Cup-winning football captain since Bobby Moore - has the mentality to make it to the very top.

That’s the view of former York City favourite Chris Jones, who managed the Tadcaster Grammar team that Cook played for from under-13 to under-15 level.

Midfielder Cook, who joined Premier League Bournemouth from Leeds United last summer, saw his national profile soar at the weekend after he became the only Three Lions skipper, other than the legendary Moore, to lift a World Cup.

He led England to a 1-0 victory over Venezuela at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup final in South Korea at the weekend, with the team having earlier beaten Argentina and the hosts at the group stages, before progressing past Costa Rica and Mexico to set up a semi-final meeting with Italy that they won 3-1.

Jones, who locked horns with the famous Moore during the Minstermen’s 1970s’ second division heyday, said of his former pupil’s potential: “Lewis was getting good reports at Leeds and he got his move to the Premier League, where he started for Bournemouth last season, but he then picked up an injury so missed most of the campaign.

“They also got Jack Wilshere in, which will have made it harder for him to get in the team, so the next challenge for Lewis, like all these young England players, will be to establish himself in the Premier League and, then, you look at how they have developed when they’re 23 or 24. He’s on the right track though.

“He’s played in the top division and captained his country to victory. That could turn some players into big-time Charlies, but I don’t think that will happen to him. He has a steady personality and has the right sort of people around him.

“Eddie Howe – his manager at Bournemouth – will keep him on the right track.”

Cook was also part of the England team that emerged triumphant from the 2014 U17 European Championship and has now represented his country at five different age groups.

During his final season at Leeds, meanwhile, he was named Football League Player of the Year – a prestigious award previously won by the likes of Dele Ali and Gareth Bale, with Jones adding “I’m really pleased for Lewis and Tadcaster Grammar are very proud of what he has achieved.

“He also looks a good skipper for that England side, as he’ll be a steady, calming influence. Amid the flair players around him, he’ll just quietly go about his business and control things in that midfield area of the pitch.

“I watched the game and hadn’t realised he was captain, so it was great to see him lift the cup and great to hear another York man Guy Mowbray commentating on the match.”

Jones worked as a supply teacher at Tadcaster from 2003 to 2015, while helping manage the school’s football teams, which Cook turned out for from U13 to U15 level.

He was an obvious stand-out performer, but former mentor Jones recalls Cook also being a model student, who did not seek the limelight as he helped the side to York Schools’ league and cup success.

“Lewis was a good lad – quiet and unassuming, but very strong and a determined character,” Jones explained. “He worked hard at school, was a good all-round sportsman and the best player we had during my time at Tadcaster.

“He still had a bit of work to do back then and I also think he probably had more in his locker than he showed when he was playing with us because he probably didn’t want to jeopardise anything at Leeds by getting injured with us, but he still scored some good goals from midfield. He played for Leeds if our games clashed with theirs, so he didn’t play in all our matches, but we tried to make sure he was available for the most important ones.

“When he was in his last year at school, he spent more time at Leeds and he would only be in school a couple of days a week. We’ve lost touch over the years, but I went to see him play for England U16s at Chesterfield, when he only came on as a substitute, because that age group do have a really strong squad.”

The day after Cook was celebrating historic success with England, another York-born, former Tadcaster Grammar pupil Charlie Taylor completed a reported £5million move from Leeds to West Brom.

Taylor, now 23, spent a brief spell on loan at his home-town club five years ago during current chief Gary Mills’ first spell in charge.

Both Cook and Taylor were spirited away from York to Elland Road at an early age, although Jones also ensured the former was on the Minstermen’s radar, should he too become available at any point.

“I don’t think there was any way Lewis was ever going to be moved on as a young player at Leeds,” Jones reasoned. “But I did float his name to Gary Mills, during his first spell as York City manager, with the suggestion that Lewis would be a good player to work with if he could ever get hold of him.”