Former Leeds United veteran Liam Cooper is reportedly set to join CSKA Sofia, marking the first time he’ll play for another club since his stint with Chesterfield during the 2013-14 season.
Cooper’s departure from Elland Road signifies the end of a significant era with The Whites. Having been with Leeds for a decade, he made 284 appearances, scored 11 goals, and provided six assists.
His contributions were crucial in the team’s success in the 2019-20 EFL Championship, which earned Leeds promotion to the Premier League. However, all good football stories eventually reach their conclusion, and Cooper’s time with Leeds came to an end this June with the expiration of his contract.
Leeds United CEO Angus Kinnear pays tribute to Liam Cooper
On Wednesday, Cooper penned a letter to Leeds and the supporters as he closed this decade-long chapter with the club ahead of his next move to Bulgaria. With the veteran defender saying goodbye, Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear reflected on Cooper’s tenure with the club.
Moreover, Kinnear spotlighted the player’s commitment to the club and noted that not many players today are willing to stay with one side for as long as Cooper did.
“Coops’ 10 years of service to Leeds United is made more special as we live in an age where players, sadly, seldom make long term commitments to one club,” Kinnear said in a statement published on the club’s official website.
“His leadership, as a warrior on the pitch and as an ambassador off it, has been exemplary and core to the foundations which have seen the club enjoy its most successful period for two decades.
“Whilst he will rightly be remembered for captaining the side to a Premier League return after a 16 year absence, for me, it was his leadership and selflessness to help steer the club through the financial turmoil of the pandemic, which will also give him a unique place in the club’s history. It goes without saying, that Elland Road will always be his home.”
Both sides are beginning new chapters, but there’s no denying that Cooper will have a special place at Leeds and has an open door to return in his post-playing career.
