The Ipswich academy product remained a peripheral figure at Portman Road for the majority of the first half of this season while former boss Cook was in charge.
However, Woolfenden was able to breathe life into his stalled career at Ipswich following the departure of Cook as he has become an integral part of new boss Kieran McKenna’s first team, playing every minute of their last 18 League One games.
And Woolfenden has revealed that he would have left the Suffolk giants in the last transfer window if Cook had remained at the club as he was not at all in a good mood.
The 23-year-old added that he started to hate coming to train at Ipswich as all his hopes of playing first team football seemed dead before the club’s hierarchy decided to have a change in leadership and parted ways with Cook.
Asked if he would have left Ipswich in January had Cook still been in charge, Woolfenden told the East Anglian Daily Times: “I think it would have been certain, to be fair.
“It was nailed on. I wasn’t playing or making squads.
“I was training with the Under 23s most of the time so I was nailed on to go.
“I was looking forward to leaving, the way it was going.
“I was waking up most mornings and wanting to be anywhere else other than Ipswich.
“I was coming in for training in a bad mood and I’m never in a bad mood. That’s not me.
“If it wasn’t for my girlfriend telling me to go then I wouldn’t have gone.
“I’d have stayed in bed. It got to a point where I was hating coming to football because it seemed no matter what I was doing or how well I did, it didn’t change anything.
“It got to a stage where you’re thinking ‘I need to go because my head’s in the bin and nothing’s going to change’.
“Thankfully it did change and thankfully I kept coming in.”
Ipswich are fighting for a playoff spot in the league this season and their next challenge awaits in the shape of Cambridge United at the weekend.
