Liam Cooper looks a man reborn for Leeds United this season.
Noel Whelan, speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, has heaped praise on Leeds United centre-back Liam Cooper.
The former Chesterfield defender has, along with so many of his team-mates, been a revelation for Leeds this season, starting five of United’s six Championship games.
Alongside Pontus Jansson in the heart of the Whites’ defence, Thomas Christiansen’s side have conceded just two goals in the league – and both came in their first game of the season.
The 26-year-old, wearing the captain’s armband this season, hasn’t always looked this steady at the back, but former Leeds striker Whelan is delighted to see him blossom into a fine, reliable figure.
He told BBC Radio Leeds: “He’s stepped up to the mark, he really has.
“We were always wondering whether he could be that first-team centre-half and now he’s claimed it. It’s his and he’s proven why he was brought to this club.”
Cooper was excellent again on Saturday as he and Jansson managed another clean sheet in the 5-0 trouncing of Burton Albion at Elland Road.
In doing so, Christiansen’s side move second in the Championship, two points behind Cardiff, and maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign in the process.
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