Leeds United captain Liam Cooper was handed a rare start for Scotland last night.
Scotland were continuing their preparations for a second consecutive European Championships campaign but were beaten 1-0 by Northern Ireland at Hampden Park to make it back-to-back defeats over this international break.
Cooper was one of several Leeds players in action for their respective countries last night and it is fair to say it was a mixed bag, with Junior Firpo and the Welsh quartet also on the losing side.
Glen Kamara was an unused substitute for Finland which will have no doubt delighted Daniel Farke, while Willy Gnonto’s Italy U21s were held to a 1-1 draw by Turkey.
Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph were actually the only Leeds players to feature on the winning side, with both England and Spain’s U21s picking up an important three points in EUROs qualifying.
But for Cooper, it was one of his final opportunities to stake a claim for a place on the plane to Germany for the European Championships this summer, in what is likely to be his final major tournament.
Scottish media deliver verdict on Leeds captain Cooper
Last night was Cooper’s first minutes on the pitch in almost a month, with his most recent involvement for Leeds coming in the FA Cup defeat at Chelsea in February.
Aside from the New Year’s Day win over Birmingham City, the FA Cup has been the only competition in which Farke has handed Cooper any sort of minutes in 2024, despite Pascal Struijk’s long-term injury.
That has been down to the partnership both Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu have formed at centre-back, with Leeds having conceded just three goals in the 12 matches they have played together.
However, as per the Scottish Sun, Cooper gave a good account of himself last night despite Scotland’s defeat, suggesting he was the stand-out performer from their back five.
They wrote: “Leeds stopper was handed 18th cap in one of two changes. Looked the most solid of the defenders and showed good distribution. Nodded second half chance wide. 6/10.”
Will Liam Cooper be handed a new Leeds contract?
This could well be Cooper’s final few weeks in a Leeds shirt with his contract at Elland Road set to come to an end after an astonishing 10 years at the club.
At this stage it looks highly unlikely the 32-year-old will be offered a fresh extension, with other stalwarts including Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas expected to have the same fate.
Providing everyone stays fit, it does not look as though Cooper will have much of a part to play in the run-in, but his leadership qualities in the dressing room will be paramount given his experience.
It would be a brilliant send off if Leeds were able to secure an immediate return to the Premier League in his final season at the club.
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