Cook, who joined the club on a free transfer from Tranmere Rovers last summer, is among the nominees for the Sky Bet League One and PFA Fans' Player of the Month awards for January after he bagged five goals during the opening month of 2019 - including a hat-trick against Gillingham.
The 28-year-old has scored sixteen goals in thirty-seven first-team appearances, including five in four games in January, and the manager, who is confident there is still more to cone from the forward, wants his teammates to follow his example.
Speaking via the club's official website - Saddlers.co.uk - Dean said; "Cooky is Cooky. The fans have endeared to him and seen what he is about. At the start of the season, a few people were questioning him when he wasn’t getting his goals.
"But there was never any doubt in my mind about bringing Cooky into the football club because he offers goals. Looking at the stats, they show that throughout his whole career he has scored more goals in the second half of the season than the first.
"Hopefully, that’s going to continue this season. He has had the opportunity to come here and at the moment he is the main striker because he is scoring goals. The other lads have to take his example and challenge him for his place."