Charlie has England U16s in sight

​Talented Fareham teenager Charlie Cook has been named in a 38-player England Under-16 squad for this season’s junior international age group matches.
His selection, alongside Trojans' Matt Dicker [left], from Hedge End,  follows a successful England Hockey Futures Tournament for Saxton Pumas in St Alban's.
Hockey has been in Charlie’s blood almost since he began to walk and run – his father Nigel having been a prominent player for Fareham and, more recently, the team’s coach and manager.
He is also a decent promising all-round cricketer.
Charlie attends Seaford College in West Sussex, where he is coached by former Great Britain Olympian Ben Barnes, who commented: “He’s worked really hard, loves scoring goals and is a skilful and direct player. 
“He understands the game well and has a good range of passes too which makes him a dangerous forward but can play in the midfield too. 
“It’s the first step on the International ladder but I know he doesn’t want to stop there.”
Barnes, of course, coached Fareham for five seasons before becoming Seaford’s Director of Hockey.
* Eight of the 38 player squad selected are goalkeepers, so Charlie and Matt will, in effect, be competing for two of the 32 outfield places in the full England international squad.

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