Jack Cork aiming to show why Burnley is perfect place to realise England dreams

When James Trafford earned a spot in , could have been forgiven for letting out a smile. And not just because the pair played together in the last season.

Cork, like Trafford, earned an call-up while on books. However, while the Clarets were flying high in the Premier League at the time of the midfielder’s Three Lions debut in 2017, the goalkeeper’s recent recognition comes with the team battling for promotion from the .

All of this makes Cork’s current task that bit easier. After retiring last summer, he took over as assistant manager of ’s Under-21 side, and he already has a prime example to show those wondering whether that international path might require them to leave Turf Moor.

“It's massively going to help, especially recruiting younger players or getting people to join the academy,” Cork tells Mirror Football following the launch of the 2025 Dude Perfect International Youth Cup, where the Clarets’ youngsters will take on counterparts from the likes of and . “Because there is that pathway from the first team to the international stage now, especially with the England team, which wasn't there before.

“Stuff like that does make it easier, stuff like the tournament where we're playing international teams does make it more attractive for kids to get here. The pathway is probably the most important thing, people are seeing it as a way to make a career and play internationally.”

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Cork’s own path to the top was a little more convoluted than some. He began his career as part of a Chelsea academy which produced Premier League starters, among them England international and winner Ryan Bertrand, but didn’t get his top-flight chance with the Blues.

After impressing on loan at Burnley, he left Stamford Bridge for in 2011 and earned a place in the Olympic football squad in 2012. However, it wasn’t until five years later - at the age of 28 - that gave him his bow in a friendly against Germany.

“I left Swansea in the summer [of 2017] and then signed for Burnley,” he recalls. “I was 28 years old, and I know you hear managers talking about picking on form but you don't really believe it.

“But as you've seen with Dan Burn recently [it can happen] and I was lucky enough that a few people pulled out. We were fourth in the league, I think, and I got a call up. It was amazing.

“I had a holiday booked with my family when the manager called me and said do you want to join up with England or do you want to go on holiday with your family - I couldn't say no! That was a really good time and something I thought was long gone behind me at 28, but it doesn't seem that old now.”

Now 35, he is enjoying his first foray into coaching, but recognises he has things easier than some. He spent seven years as a player with Burnley before joining the coaching staff, and appreciates that many of the youngsters knocking on the door of the first team will have respect for him in a way the next generation might not when he - in his own words - has become “irrelevant” as far as his playing career is concerned.

It’s for this reason that he really appreciates the job being done by English coaches overseas, whether that’s Liam Rosenior or Will Still in Ligue 1 this season or current manager Graham Potter during an early-career spell in charge of Ostersunds. While he’s still at a very different stage of his own coaching journey, there’s respect for the willingness others have had to put themselves into unfamiliar environments and prove themselves.

As for his own path, that owes a fair amount to Vincent Kompany. The former Burnley boss led by example in embracing new trends in coaching, but was also very vocal in encouraging players of any age to prepare for life after playing.

“I did my B licence at Burnley, about two or three years ago... and am doing my A licence now, that'll be ticked off in a month's time,” Cork adds. “Vinny was really big on trying to get as many guys coaching as possible.

“When Aaron Ramsey did his knee last year he said to him 'while you're out and you've got a bit of spare time, go and learn something'. Because in 10 years' time if you've got that in the bank straight away you'll be able to use it.

“There's so much more that comes with coaching now - the laptops, the coding, the analysis - and Vinny was the best analyst at the club. He knew all the tricks, probably knew how to code everything, how to take clips, how to telestrate stuff.

“So the earlier you can do that now as a professional, if you get a bit of time when you are injured, it's probably best to put it towards [that]. I know when you're playing all you think about is playing, but it's probably best to start getting on the ladder earlier.”

While many of Cork’s goals are longer-term ones, Burnley have a more urgent priority on the pitch. They sit second in the Championship with five games remaining, the first of those against Norwich this evening, but just two points separate the top three.

Things were a bit more relaxed at this stage of the 2022-23 season, with Burnley already promoted with seven games to spare. Cork came off the bench in the game which clinched it, playing the final 11 minutes away at Middlesbrough as Kompany’s team held on for a 2-1 victory.

Promotion this season would be a huge boost for a club looking to build from the ground up, with a handful of the Under-21s coached by Cork already getting first-team chances in the cups. The next five games are huge, but the positives have already been there to see throughout the season.

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