Cork: I'm loving it at Saints and want to stay (From Daily Echo)

Cork: I'm loving it at Saints and want to stay

6:00am Thursday 11th December 2008

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Jack Cork is hoping to extend his current loan deal at Saints.

The versatile 19-year-old has made a big impression at St Mary’s since his arrival from Premier League giants Chelsea in the summer, writes ADRIAN KAJUMBA.

Cork has made 21 appearances so far this season and his form has led to him being called into the England Under 21 squad for the first time, making his debut in the 2-0 win against the Czech Republic last month.

Cork, pictured right, says he is “loving”

life at Saints and wants to stay beyond January 1, when his current deal expires.

And that news will be a welcome boost for Saints head coach Jan Poortvliet, who spoke last week of his intention to try and keep some of his loan stars.

Speaking during the club’s annual pre-Christmas visit to Southampton General Hospital yesterday, defender/midfielder Cork said: “I am loving it here so far.

“Hopefully I can extend it (my loan deal).

“I have just got to see what everyone is saying and hopefully I can extend it for another few months.”

He added: “I am not exactly sure what is happening at the minute.

“I have spoken to a few people from Chelsea and they have said they are very happy with how things are going and they would be happy for me to extend it.

“I think my agent has already spoken to somebody at the Chelsea and said Saints want to keep me.

“He has not spoken to Frank Arnesen (Chelsea’s sporting director) yet, though, so hopefully we can try and get something sorted out.

“We will have to see what happens in the New Year.”

In the long term, Cork hopes to eventually get the chance to prove himself at Chelsea.

But, with a host of high-profile internationals ahead of him in the pecking order, if he returned to Stamford Bridge Cork would, in all likelihood, be restricted to reserve team action in the immediate future.

“It is a hard and frustrating situation, especially at my age,”

admitted Cork, who has yet to make his Chelsea first-team debut, having been out on loan previously at Scunthorpe last season and Bournemouth the campaign before that.

“If I do go back to Chelsea, there is a real possibility that I will be stuck in the reserves.

“When I go back there, it seems like there is nowhere for me to go and I just play in the reserves.

“It’s a massive club, Chelsea, and a good experience being around it, but you can only get so much experience from that and you are still in reserves, so its hard.

“So I will probably end up going out on loan again.”

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