Leeds United captain Liam Cooper in no mood to lose out on legacy with Whites

The famous club at the forefront of the country’s third largest city has spent nearly two decades trying to get back there since.

Frequent changes in ownership, 15 different managers, but a giant of a club still stuck in English football’s second tier with three years in League One along the way.

That, though, could be about to change - and Cooper fully appreciates the enormity of what a long-awaited return to the country’s top flight would mean to everyone associated with the club and the city of Leeds.

The 28-year-old skipper also recognises the magnitude of the responsibility subsequently resting on himself and his squad.

A responsibility, says Cooper, that is to be embraced, not shirked or ignore, with the captain urging his men to hold onto a life-changing opportunity and complete the job to etch themselves into Leeds United folklore.

With 178 appearances under his belt and four seasons as captain, Cooper is already assured of a prominent place in the club’s history books.

Yet the defender knows the next 13 games could transform the legacy that both he as captain and United’s current squad leave in the years to come.

Cooper already has five and a half years experience of United’s travails in bidding to finally seal a return to English football’s promised land.

Signed in Chesterfield in August 2014 at the start of the Massimo Cellino era, Cooper’s first season at the club saw Cellino work his way through four different managers before the club finished 15th.

Uwe Rosler and latterly Steve Evans were then tasked with trying to work the oracle the following season only for Leeds to end up in the same position as the previous year.

After Andrea Radrizzani’s arrival at the club, the 2016-17 campaign under Garry Monk brought fresh hope only for the Whites to fall away in the final month to finish seventh.

The following campaign also began brightly under Thomas Christianen but flattened out to see United finish 13th under Paul Heckingbottom as the wait for Premier League football continued.

But then there was Marcelo Bielsa and last season’s near miss which second-placed Leeds are well-poised to atone for one year on.

United might have been 11-points clear in the automatic promotion spots in December but Saturday’s 1-0 win at home to Bristol City and Fulham’s 3-0 loss at home to Barnsley has left the

Whites three points clear in second and with their destiny very much in their own hands.

With last season’s heartache an all too timely reminder, there is no danger whatsoever of Cooper taking anything for granted or believing the job is any way complete.

This, though, says Cooper, is a golden opportunity and responsibility that his side must embrace, not shirk, to bring newfound joy to the city and place themselves as footballers in the Whites hall of fame.

“This club has been starved of top-flight football for so long for whatever reason and we have a real chance,” said Cooper.

“We have to hold onto that. You put it to the back of your head but you hold onto it.

“It is life-changing and it could be unbelievable for the city and our club so we’ve just got to keep going.

“We can make history here but we’ve got to do a job.

“We see the legends plastered all over the walls at the club but we’ve got to approach it in the right way with the right mentality, be confident with each other. But why can’t we be remembered at this club forever?”

Seven more games at Elland Road and six fixtures on their travels will now determine if Cooper and his squad can seal the deal and make the ultimate amends for last season’s late collapse from second to third and ultimately defeat in the play-offs semi-final to Derby County.

But Cooper and United have returned more determined than ever to finally get it right in the club’s centenary season and the defender says he is relishing the role of leading the Whites from the front.

The 28-year-old has formed an impressive partnership at the heart of United’s defence with summer recruit and Brighton loanee Ben White who has started evert single one of United’s league games this term and played the most minutes out of every member of the squad.

Cooper, meanwhile, has repeatedly made quick returns from this season’s niggles and knocks with the captain suffering a kick to his ankle in August but only missing the 3-0 win at Stoke City with the injury as Gaetano Berardi proved a more than able deputy.

The skipper was then thought to be facing six weeks out after picking up a groin injury in the 1-0 win at home to West Brom on October 1 but the defender returned just 25 days later in the goalless draw at Sheffield Wednesday, missing just three games in between.

A calf strain then forced the captain to miss another three games at the start of December but the skipper returned for the 2-1 loss at Fulham four days before Christmas.

The defender has played the full duration of United’s last 11 league games with the defender scoring United's equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Brentford and missing only the third round FA Cup clash at Arsenal in January for which he was rested and an unused substitute.

Cooper looked on as United completely blitzed Mikel Arteta’s side in the opening 45 minutes only to squander crucial chances but with United’s potential to be Premier League regulars nonetheless crystal clear.

Cooper could now be the captain to take them there and the defender says he is continually thriving in his role as skipper.

“I always say it, it’s an absolute honour and long may it continue,” said Cooper.

“We have got a great bunch of lads, great staff willing us on every day and it’s great to lead the lads.”

Thanks to Luke Ayling’s first-half strike and a strong defensive display at the other end, the most recent act of Cooper leading United into battle led to a much-needed victory in Saturday’s hosting of Bristol City.

As part of a fine display of free-flowing, high press and attacking football in which United had 21 attempts at goal, Cooper knows his men should have been out of sight.

As it was, the defender was relieved to see Nahki Wells blast a fine chance into the side netting in the closing stages.

Cooper, though, believes it is only a matter of time before United start converting more of their chances, making matters rather less anxious at the back.

The conversion of those chances likely holds the key to United’s automatic promotion bid but Cooper is making no wild predictions and is focused only on Saturday’s hosting of Reading. A rather less stressful day at the office would be great for all concerned.

“I’d love to be 4-0 up at some point in the season,” smiled Cooper.

“I suppose it’s the Leeds way, we keep you on the edge of your seats. But the boys work so hard every day on finishing and we have so many different finishing drills it will come.

“But we managed to do our jobs today as a team, we managed to keep a clean sheet and sometimes one goal is enough.

“We’ve just got to keep chalking the games off - approach them in the right way, stick to the way we play and what will be at the end of the season will be.”