Phil Hay shares what his sources at Leeds United recently told him about Liam Cooper

Cooper was initially thought to be on his way out of the club this summer, having all but confirmed as such in his pre-match program notes ahead of the play-off semi-final against Norwich City.

With the score at 4-0, Cooper was even brought on for the last 10 minutes for his first appearance since late March, which had all the earmarks of a farewell appearance.

Cooper received a great reception from the Leeds supporters and it certainly felt like he was given one last chance from Daniel Farke to say goodbye to Elland Road.

Hay shares what he heard about Cooper at Leeds

Among the more interesting parts of Leeds’ retained list was Sam Byram’s one-year extension, with Ethan Ampadu and Connor Roberts among those to react to the news.

Cody Drameh was also offered a new deal, although the reason was to ensure Leeds received exit compensation due to his age. He is still expected to leave.

Perhaps surprisingly alongside Cooper, Jamie Shackleton is also in the talks despite playing just a handful of league minutes following the 4-1 win over Huddersfield Town in October.

However, Cooper is certainly the headliner of the roster, and speaking on the latest episode of the Square Ball Podcast, Hay shared what he was told about Cooper’s future earlier this week.

He said: “The interesting one is Liam Cooper. I spoke to a few people this morning who said it still appeared to be in the air. He was expected to go and I think from his perspective he just hasn’t played close enough in his lifetime and his career.

“There is certainly another interest in him and if he had grown up, it would have been very difficult for me to see where he would fit in. Being in the Championship and with the squad being quite young, Farke has spoken quite a bit about the lack of experience, I suppose it increases the chances that Leeds will want him to stay put.”

What did Cooper say about his Leeds future?

Cooper will certainly find himself in a difficult position whether to stay or go. On the one hand, Leeds is his childhood club, but on the other hand, playing time has been lacking.

However, speaking again at the official awards ceremony in Leeds in April, he certainly seemed to suggest that he would be happy to stay there if given the chance.

He said: “I’ve tried every day to lead by example, be a good example around the place and give everything I have to make this club better. It’s one that I’ve done with great honor, I’ve enjoyed every second of it and I hope it can go on for a few more years, but we’ll see.”

Similar topics