Leeds supporters never needed reminding of Liam Cooper’s importance, but Raphinha has just provided perhaps the strongest endorsement yet of the former captain’s influence.
When a player who has gone on to become one of the biggest names in world football publicly credits Cooper for helping shape his Leeds career, it speaks volumes about his legacy at Elland Road.
Brazil will face Scotland in the World Cup group stages, but they take on Morocco before facing Steve Clarke’s side. Scotland face Haiti in their first group game. Raphinha was asked about Cooper:
“Liam was a guy who really helped me a lot from the very first day I arrived at Leeds United. He helped me to adapt, especially with the language because I didn’t speak it. I had no English at all.
Which former Leeds player would you have back, if you could pick one? Raphinha surely has to be up there💎
“I wasn’t used to the football there, and especially the cold weather. It was really important to have support from someone like him who had been at the club longer,” Raphinha continued.
“Liam was someone who really helped me adapt into the club and brought me in with all the players. Without understanding anything, he tried to talk to me! I look back, and Liam was someone who gave me peace of mind to be able to play good football at Leeds.”
Those are not the sort of comments players make out of politeness. Raphinha was recalling events that happened five years ago, yet Cooper was the first Leeds figure he chose to highlight.
Cooper’s influence went beyond what happened on the pitch
Supporters will always remember Cooper for captaining Leeds back to the Premier League, but his importance inside the dressing room was just as significant.
The defender spent a decade at Elland Road after joining the club in 2014, becoming one of the defining figures of a transformative period in Leeds history. Raphinha’s testimony offers a glimpse into why he was so highly regarded by teammates.
Fans judge captains on performances, results and leadership during matches. Players often judge them on the support they provide every day behind the scenes.
Raphinha made the most of the platform Leeds gave him
When Leeds completed a deal worth around £17m to sign Raphinha in 2020, few could have predicted how quickly he would become one of the club’s most important players.
He scored his first Leeds goal against Everton, produced memorable moments against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, supplied the assist in a dramatic late victory over Norwich City.
Then, he delivered the defining moment of his Leeds career when he won and converted a penalty against Brentford to secure Premier League survival on the final day of 2021-22, his final Leeds game.
By the time he left for Barcelona in a deal worth up to £55m, he had become Leeds’ biggest sale. Cooper was there for every step of that journey.
Barcelona success makes the praise even more significant
Since leaving Yorkshire, Raphinha has developed into one of European football’s standout attackers. His performances for Barcelona have helped establish him among the elite players in the game.
Raphinha was some player for Leeds United 🌟
That rise was recognised when he finished fifth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or standings, placing him among the most highly regarded footballers in the world.
That is what makes his comments about Cooper so notable. Leeds fans already knew what Cooper meant to Leeds, but hearing the same assessment from a player who’s reached the top carries a different weight.
Cooper’s Leeds legacy was secured long before Raphinha spoke ahead of Brazil’s meeting with Scotland. Yet hearing one of world football’s elite players openly credit him for easing a difficult transition into English football is another reminder that some of a captain’s most important contributions are never visible from the stands.
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