As Leeds United head into the final stages of the 2023-24 campaign, some of their most experienced players in recent years are due to pack their bags as the club begins a new era.
All three players, Liam Cooper, Sam Byram, and Jamie Shackleton have had successful stints with the club and can be proud of their achievements.
Luke Ayling is also expected to leave on a permanent after being shipped out on loan in January to Middlesbrough and Leeds now have better depth in his position such as talented prospects Archie Gray and Connor Roberts. This leaves Ayling falling down the pecking order.
Liam Cooper
Liam Cooper. Credit: Imago Images
After 10 years at Leeds United, Cooper’s contract is finally due to expire which has helped him to become a club legend at the club because he has gone on to make 261 appearances for them as one of their best centre-backs and captain.
The 32-year-old was the skipper when Leeds won promotion to the Premier League, and he used to play in League One for clubs like Huddersfield so he has come a long way since then. He has also been capped for Scotland and was part of the squad that took them to the Euro 2020 finals.
He is currently the longest-serving player for The Whites as they signed him for an initial £700,000 back in the ownership days of Massimo Cellino.
But that record is due to finish soon because fellow Championship club Blackburn Rovers have been linked with the tall centre-back as a loan signing with the view to bringing him to the club on a permanent if it goes well for the Scottish international.
However, Leeds manager Daniel Farke has outlined his intentions to keep Cooper beyond the end of this season and doesn’t want to sell to a division rival. And Cooper has said himself that he wants to fight for his place at Elland Road, so this might not be the last of him after all.
Sam Byram
Sam Byram. Credit: Imago Images
Another player who is set to leave Elland Road in the summer is right-back Byram who has played in patches since returning to his boyhood club at the start of the campaign.
He burst onto the scene at 18 years old when he broke into the first team back in 2012 and quickly established himself as one of the best defenders for the club.
However, his strong performances meant that he was head-hunted by Premier League side West Ham United but several injuries meant that he failed to make an impact and ended up back where it all started for him.
But the 30-year-old hasn’t lived up to the form he had earlier in his career as he has only made seven appearances so far in the league and has been a backup for the majority of the season.
Despite this, Byram has made it clear that he intends to stay at the club beyond this season because he wants another opportunity in the top flight.
Jamie Shackleton
Jamie Shackleton. Credit: Imago Images
The final player who is due to leave at the end of the season is Shackleton who has struggled for game time since returning to the club following a loan spell with Millwall.
Despite only being 24 years old, he has not fitted into Farke’s starting eleven and is likely to depart in the coming weeks. However, he is still a very versatile player and has played as a right-back, defensive midfielder, right midfielder, and attacking midfielder.
He was also part of the 2019-20 squad that earned Leeds United promotion to the Premier League, so he has earned himself a reputation as a credible Championship footballer.
