Extra motivation for skipper Liam Cooper to seal promotion at Leeds United in momentous year

Cooper and five of his Whites team-mates stepped out in United’s new home kit at the Elland Road Centenary Pavilion on Tuesday evening with Leeds unveiling a classic Whites shirt with centenary crest to mark 100 years of the club.

Summer signing from Wolves, Helder Costa, was also present along with former Molineux team-mate Barry Douglas, Adam Forshaw, Luke Ayling and Bailey Peacock-Farrell who proudly showed off the club’s snazzy new goalkeeping jersey.

Peacock-Farrell and company had looked destined to grace the Premier League in the club’s centenary year with Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites spending the vast majority of last season in the Championship’s automatic promotion places, only to fall away to finish third in the final month.

Leeds then suffered more heartache by losing their play-off semi-final to Derby County with United now set for a 16th consecutive season outside of the country’s top flight, which begins on Sunday, August 4 at Bristol City.

The Whites have been back in training for two weeks with Bielsa’s men now set to take in their first pre-season game at York City tonight.

Cooper – signed from Chesterfield back in August 2014 – is approaching what will be his sixth season with the club and the combination of last season’s heartache and the celebration of United’s centenary year has the experienced centre-back in determined mood.

“I think it just gives you that extra bit more motivation with it obviously being a massive year for the club being the centenary year,” said Cooper.

“Obviously there will be a lot more going on in the communities this year as well and we can’t get wait to get going.

“What a great thing it will be to do if we can get promoted this season.

“We are all looking forward to the season, especially after the heartache last year.

“It really motivates us more. The team is raring to go.

“We have come back in great shape, it goes back to hard work from the start and the boys are getting fitter and fitter every day.

“Hopefully we can go on and have another unbelievable season and go one better.”

Close to a thousand fans packed into the club’s Centenary Pavilion at a ticketed event to get a first glimpse of United’s new home shirt.

“It’s a lovely kit,” said Cooper. “I don’t think there’s been a bad kit since I’ve been here. Hopefully we can perform well in it.”

Yet the biggest cheer of the evening welcomed United’s summer recruit Costa who United have signed on a season-long loan ahead of a permanent switch next summer.

Costa’s move to Elland Road has reunited the Portugal international with former Wolves team-mate Douglas who is excited both about United’s new addition and the season ahead.

Douglas said of Costa: “He’s a great acquisition to the squad and he is going to bring a lot of quality and hopefully bring a lot more exciting moments this season. It’s nice to see him again.”

United’s fans could now get a first glimpse of Costa at either tonight’s friendly at York or the following evening’s clash at Guiseley – and Douglas admitted Bielsa had already been putting United through very hard yards in training.

“It’s very intense,” said the Scottish left-back. “It’s been hard work so hopefully we will be fully prepared for the start of the campaign.

“It’s amazing to have the fans that we have here.

“They are so passionate so hopefully this year we can go one step further and take the club back to where it belongs.”