Liam Cooper outlines strong desire for 'proper' conclusion as Leeds United return to tailored training

CAPTAIN Liam Cooper says Leeds United are determined to conclude their Championship promotion push in the "proper" manner by sealing a place in the Premier League on the football pitch.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Championship front-runners Leeds finally returned to tailored training at Thorp Arch today adhering to strict social distancing measures as the country continues to combat coronavirus.

United have not played since the 2-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town on March 7 and the Championship season remains suspended though the EFL are still hoping for all remaining games to be played by the end of July.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Should the rest of the season be curtailed - something that would be triggered if 51 per cent of Championship clubs vote to end the season early - Leeds would be crowned champions via the EFL's preferred unweighted points per game model with the EFL also saying that promotion and relegation should be retained.

BACK TO IT: Leeds United captain Liam Cooper. Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images.BACK TO IT: Leeds United captain Liam Cooper. Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images.
BACK TO IT: Leeds United captain Liam Cooper. Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images.

But Whites skipper Cooper said the club's culture was not associated with "hand me downs" with the centre-back adamant the Whites squad are determined to complete promotion in the proper manner.

Cooper said his men were "100 per cent" itching to complete promotion on the pitch and said: "We are not the type of club who want anything passing to us.

"We want to go and accomplish it ourselves.

"Some may call us mad for that but we want to do it properly and we want to go and finish what we have started.

BACK TO IT: Leeds United skipper Liam Cooper as the Whites returned to tailored training on Monday. Photo by Leeds United.BACK TO IT: Leeds United skipper Liam Cooper as the Whites returned to tailored training on Monday. Photo by Leeds United.
BACK TO IT: Leeds United skipper Liam Cooper as the Whites returned to tailored training on Monday. Photo by Leeds United.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We have come a long way in these last two years and it would be fitting to be able to get that done."

Asked if he ever thought that settling the season via points per game might actually be good for Leeds, Cooper said: "Being the club that we are, it's not nice when something gets handed to you like that and that's not the sort of culture we have at the club.

"We don't expect nobody to give us anything and we have really developed that over the last two years for sure.

"I think I speak for the majority of the lads, they want to play and they want to get it done properly.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We don't want a hand me down, we don't want none of that, we want to get it done and that's the way it's got to be."

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. These are challenging times but the team at the Yorkshire Evening Post need your support more than ever in the weeks ahead.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So the support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with the city you live in during this time.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes - from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this and your continued support to the YEP will help to protect its viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk/YEP, email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Laura Collins

Editor

READ MORE: https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/opinion/were-therewithyou-now-your-yep-needs-your-support-too-laura-collins-yep-editor-2521777

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.