Former Leeds United defender Ben Parker has backed Lewis Cook to follow in the footsteps of Fabian Delph by representing England at senior international level.
Midfielder Delph rose through the ranks at Elland Road before being transferred in 2009 to Aston Villa, where his form over the last 12 months has captured the attention of England boss Roy Hodgson.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Cook's performances in what has been his breakthrough season for the Whites have earned him numerous plaudits and Parker, who played alongside Delph, believes that the young midfielder will also play at the highest level.
"The worst-kept secret coming out of Leeds is Lewis Cook. He's got a fantastic future ahead of him and he reminds me a little of Fabian Delph in a way. As soon as Delph burst onto the stage, he was head and shoulders above everyone else," 27-year-old Parker told Sports Mole.
"Everyone knew about Fab from the age of 13 or 14 and knew he was going to be a class player and it's the same with Cook. It's no surprise to people in the club that he's come in this year, played nearly 40 games and been arguably the best player.
"It would be no surprise if he gets England honours in the future and is playing at the top end of the Premier League because he's got the quality to take him all the way.
"[Cook and Delph are] a bit different. Fab is quite fiery and he likes a tackle. Their characters might be a little bit different as well, but in terms of ability, they are both great footballers. They both work hard off the pitch to improve themselves and they are a credit to the academy."
Following the appointment of Tim Sherwood to the Villa Park helm in February, Delph has flourished, culminating in him scoring the winning goal during the 2-1 FA Cup semi-final victory over Liverpool at Wembley earlier this month.
Such displays have come as "no surprise" to Parker, who always felt that his former teammate was destined to play such a leading role.
"He was fantastic in that game [against Liverpool]. He's got the confidence of playing week in and week out. When he came back to Leeds on loan [in 2012], he had an ankle injury and he struggled to shake that off for a while," added Parker.
"He's worked incredibly hard to regain his full fitness and as soon as he did that, his confidence has come back. Now you can see that he's not just playing well in games, he's dictating them and ordering some senior players around.
"The captaincy has given him an extra lift as well. Playing for England is great and to me it's no surprise because you could see how good he was going to be from an early age."
Delph has earned himself five senior international caps to date, while Cook has turned out for the Three Lions at Under-16, 17, 18 and 19 levels.
Liam Apicella
