Leeds United player receives international call-up upon Whites return for club 'first'

Cooper has recently been absent with a glute problem but returned to the Whites bench as an unused substitute for last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at West Ham. The centre-back was then named in boss Sam Allardyce’s starting XI for Sunday’s season finale at home to Tottenham Hotspur in which Leeds needed a victory plus slip ups from Everton and Leicester City to avoid relegation.

Leeds got the complete opposite of a 4-1 defeat to Spurs plus victories for both Everton and Leicester which all led to the Whites joining the Foxes and Southampton in being condemned to the drop. Cooper came through the full duration of the contest and the 31-year-old has now been named in boss Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the upcoming UEFA Euro Qualifiers against Norway and Georgia.

The Tartan Army will face an away clash against Norway on Saturday, June 17 before hosting Georgia on Tuesday, June 20. Cooper becomes the first Leeds player to earn an international call up upon the club’s new status as a Championship side.