Captain Liam Cooper set to join the 100 club at Leeds United - but who else is in it?

Of the first batch of signings made by Massimo Cellino in 2014, only two are still standing at Leeds United. Gaetano Berardi is their longest-serving player, narrowly in front of Liam Cooper; survivors at a club where new faces rarely stick for long.
A bandaged Liam Cooper salutes the crowd at Elland Road after Leeds United's crushing win over West Brom.A bandaged Liam Cooper salutes the crowd at Elland Road after Leeds United's crushing win over West Brom.
A bandaged Liam Cooper salutes the crowd at Elland Road after Leeds United's crushing win over West Brom.

Cooper’s longevity since his move from Chesterfield will be shown this weekend when the centre-back joins a very select group. The centre-back is set to complete a century of appearances for Leeds as captain at Bristol City on Saturday, the 12th player to wear the armband 100 times in United’s 100-year history.

The 27-year-old has been their club captain in an official capacity for the past 18 months but he was vice-captain to Sol Bamba and Liam Bridcutt in previous season and has skippered United in 99 of his 150 outings to date.

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The list of other Leeds players who reached 100 matches with the armband is topped by the incomparable Billy Bremner, out on his own with 490 outings, and it includes other names of note: Trevor Cherry, Gordon Strachan, Gary McAllister, John Charles and Lucas Radebe.

Former Leeds United captain Billy Bremner, left.Former Leeds United captain Billy Bremner, left.
Former Leeds United captain Billy Bremner, left.

Cooper would be only the fourth player to add his name to that roll since the end of the Don Revie era and three of the group - Tom Burden, Ernie Hart and Tom Holley - made all or most of their appearances before the second world war.

Cooper, like many of the players in United’s current squad, is in the middle his most impressive season to date with Leeds and having been chosen for the captaincy by Thomas Christiansen last term, was the pick of the club’s players again last summer after Marcelo Bielsa left the decision in the hands of his squad.

Compiled by statistician Andrew Dalton, here is the full list of players who have captain Leeds 100 times or more:

1. Billy Bremner - 490

2. Trevor Cherry - 223

3. Tom Burden - 212

4. Jim Baker - 208

5. Gary McAllister - 193

6. Gordon Strachan - 148

7. Ernie Hart - 146

8. Lucas Radebe - 124

9. John Charles - 121

10. Tom Holley - 117

11. Freddie Goodwin - 105