When Lewis Cook lifted the World Cup aloft in June, he was surely hoping that he would not have to wait another 111 days to confirm his progress as a professional footballer: with a starting role for Bournemouth.

The midfielder, who captained England Under-20 during their summer of glory, made his first Premier League appearance of the season against Leicester City last weekend and produced a performance that posed the question why he had not been deployed sooner.

Cook has had to be patient. Others, notably Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who scored the winning goal against Venezuela in the World Cup final in South Korea, have found themselves thrust into the spotlight and entrusted with a weighty burden.

It speaks volumes for Calvert-Lewin’s progress — and says