Liam Cooper playing for his Leeds United future with captain in contention for Arsenal – Sky Sports pundit
Liam Cooper will know that he is playing for his Leeds United future over an end to the season that looks set to be “stunning”, with nobody a “shoe-in” now at the club, says David Prutton.
The club’s captain has an opening to get back into the line up for the trip to Arsenal on Saturday (1 April) thanks to injury during the international break to January signing Max Wober, having lost his place once the Austrian arrived.
But with the level of signing that is now being brought into the club Prutton believes nobody can guarantee themselves a place, and the Scotland international will know he needs to take his opportunity between now and the end of the campaign to stay a going concern.
In the Yorkshire Evening Post the Sky Sports pundit said: “Liam Cooper is now back fit for Leeds and I have seen enough of Liam in the Premier League to know that there is a perfectly functionable [sic] Premier League defender there.
“Where you class him in the Premier League I don’t know and that’s an area open to debate. But I think he has done more good in a Leeds shirt than not good.”
He added: “Hopefully, they’ve got someone in Cooper who will be chomping at the bit to get back into the side because even though he is an established member of the squad, I don’t think there’s any player at Leeds that is an absolute shoe in for the team given the injuries and given the recruitment.
“I think Coops has realised that, will realise that and will look to finish the season as strongly as possible.”
Writing on the wall
Cooper has been a great servant for Leeds United over the years but when Wober and Robin Koch are both fit they are now the established centre-back pairing.
The captain’s long-term future was perhaps obvious when he was kept out of the team for weeks at the start of the season by Diego Llorente.
And when he did replace the struggling Spaniard who is currently on loan at Roma the improvement at the back was marginal at best.
Wober has shown what effect a solid top flight defender should be offering, and with the club set to change hands from Andrea Radrizzani to 49ers Enterprises in the near future if Javi Gracia keeps them up there is sure to be further reinforcements soon.
Cooper’s presence in the dressing room is possibly now more important than on the pitch, but with a year left on his contract in the summer he might be moved on at that point, especially given injury issues.
If Cooper is given the nod by Gracia ahead of Pascal Struijk until Wober returns the 31-year-old will need to play lights-out to keep the Whites on pace for top flight survival and prove that he can be effective going forward, otherwise his time may be coming to an end after 260 appearances and counting.
In other Leeds United news, fears have been raised that one of the current injured players could be set for chronic issues that stop him ever getting back to his best.
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