‘A true warrior’: Larry Nance Jr responds when asked who his favourite Leeds player is

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Larry Nance Jr has picked out Liam Cooper as his favourite player at Leeds United.

Nance Jr was speaking on the Leeds That Podcast where he was questioned on a number of topics surrounding the Whites following his investment in the summer.

The NBA star is apart of the San Francisco 49ers Enterprises group that completed their full takeover of the Leeds during the summer.

Nance Jr has really immersed himself with the culture of the club in his first few months on the board, interacting with supporters across social media and making the long trip across the pond to watch Leeds in action against West Bromwich Albion last month.

Nance Jr names Cooper as his favourite Leeds player

Cooper is now into his 10th season at Elland Road having joined the club from Chesterfield back in 2013, with the 32-year-old Leeds’ longest serving player.

Nance Jr has picked out the Leeds captain as his favourite player for his leadership qualities and in particular the way he handled himself during a difficult summer for the club.

He said: “If I had to pick a favourite player it would probably be Liam Cooper at the moment. That’s a leader right there, in my eyes that is a true captain. What really sealed it is how he handled this window and last year, obviously the quote that came out.

“I just love everything about him because it is true, either you are with us or you’re not with us, so make the decision. Game one against Cardiff, even sacrificing his body when he got up and won the big header to put us back 2-1. Now he’s out a little bit but that’s a true warrior’s captain.”

Cooper remains someone who splits opinion among supporters but what cannot be questioned about him is the way he conducts himself as a captain on and off the pitch.

It is no surprise to see someone relatively new to Leeds single him out as their favourite player, particularly from an athlete’s perspective, as they can really appreciate what it takes to be a good captain.

Cooper may well be forced to play more of a bit-part role this season due to the emerging partnership of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon, but he will still continue to be a huge part of the dressing room.