‘Vitally important’: Liam Cooper shares what Leeds must do to secure Premier League return

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Leeds United captain Liam Cooper says every member of the squad must be ready to play a part this season to secure an immediate Premier League return.

Cooper was speaking to LUTV ahead of Leeds’ Championship opener with Cardiff City on Sunday, where he was quizzed on his aspirations for the season ahead.

It goes without saying that Leeds will be desperate to earn promotion back to the top-flight at the first attempt, but are in a league that is arguably at the strongest its been in several years.

Each of the three relegated clubs, at this stage of the summer, have managed to keep some of their best players, while also making exciting managerial appointments.

The likes of Middlesbrough, Coventry City and Sunderland are all also likely to be strong, which will set up an intense battle to secure promotion.

Cooper shares what Leeds must do to earn promotion this season

Speaking on the eve of the clash with Cardiff, Cooper believes the squad will have to cope well with the extra expectations that comes with playing for Leeds in the Championship if they are to succeed.

He said: “Obviously we know what this club expects and the expectation from outside. But we have just got to drive that from inside and everybody’s got to be on the same hymn sheet. There’s no one bigger than the club, no one bigger than the team and unfortunately for the manager he has to pick 11 players.

“But in this league you will go nowhere with just 11 players. It takes a team effort from the manager and his staff to the players to the lads who are on the bench and to the lads who aren’t making squads as well. They are all as vitally important as each other and we’ve got to buy into that.

“It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be ups and downs as we say and we’ve got to get that consistency, get off to a good start, and then just keep oiling the machine and keep going.”

Leeds still have several members of the 2020 promotion squad in their ranks heading into the new season and their experience will undoubtedly be crucial for several of the youngsters at the club.

In such a long 46 game season, Leeds will need to ensure Daniel Farke has a big enough squad to cope with the demands of the division, something which Cooper has acknowledged in his interview.