Peterborough United will fly under Darren Ferguson says back-in-favour midfielder

Cooke is likely to play in the big League One game at Doncaster on Saturday (February 9), especially as Posh will be without attacking talent Lee Tomlin (suspended) and could be without dashing winger Siriki Dembele. Dembele will be out for a while if suspected knee ligament damage is confirmed.

A win on Saturday would push Posh five points clear of seventh-placed Doncaster. A defeat would drop Posh out of the top six for just the second time this season.

“We just need that first win and we will be flying,” Cooke announced. “And hopefully it will come on Saturday as it‘s such a big game for us anyway.

“If we beat a very good Doncaster side it would set us up nicely for the rest of the season. It would be a huge statement.

“A new gaffer always opens up doors for some players. I didn’t get as much game time as I would have liked under the previous regime, but I kept my head down and acted professionally.

“The new gaffer wants to me to play. He wants me to get on the ball and get forward which suits me down to the ground. When I arrived here in the summer I said I wanted to score and create goals as that’s always been my game.

“In a midfield diamond I also have to be good defensively and I’m getting better at that side of the game.

“It’s good to get a full week with the new manager. It was a quick turnaround when he came in as we had a game after one training session with him.

“He did a brilliant job of lifting the players when he got here and this week he’s been painting pictures about how he wants us to play.”

Cooke was signed from Middlesbrough in the summer. He’s started just five of 31 League One matches this season, but that includes both matches since Ferguson arrived.

Cooke has scored one goal, a late one in the 4-2 win at Gillingham after coming on as a substitute.

Posh have drawn at Bristol Rovers and lost at home to Plymouth since Ferguson replaced Steve Evans.