Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LIAM: IT’S ELECTRIC
No one will be a shock to us says Leeds’ fired-up skipper
AFTER six years of trying to guide Leeds out of the second tier, Liam Cooper has joined an elite group as one of 20 people who can call themselves a Premier League captain this season.
And as he prepares to face the champions Liverpool on the opening g weekend, the 29-year-old old cannot wait to play in the top flight against the best team in the land.
The defender i s reli shing running out at Anfield, where he made his Premier League debut for Hull in a 6-1 drubbing in September 2009.
Cooper has waited a long time to return to the top flight and intends to savour it, especially in front of the Kop as Leeds aim to prove th emselv e s P remi e r
League class. He said: “When the fixtures came out, I said to the lads that it doesn’t get any better. “You want to go and test yourselves against the best and the Premier League champions is one way to go about it. We will be prepared like we always are, nothing will come as a shock to us. “They have worldclass players and there’s no better feeling than going out there and testing yourselves against the best.” Cooper claims after 16 years outside the Premier League, Leeds fans will settle for survival this season.
“I think every fan being honest would take 17th place, we want to stay in this l e a g u e ,” s a i d the centre-half, who is part of Scotland’s squad for their Nations League games against the Czech Republic and Israel. “Obviously, we want to go and finish higher and push maybe for the top 10, but in all honesty we would all take staying in the league.”
Marcelo Bielsa’s side will listen to offers for their former Real Madrid keeper Kiko Casilla as they continue to build a squad.
Casilla lost his place as Leeds’ No.1 to Illan Meslier when he was banned for eight games last season for racially abusing Charlton’s Jonathan Leko.
The Spaniard failed to dislodge Meslier when he completed his suspension and only returned for the final away game of the campaign at Derby. Leeds have signed Meslier permanently for £5.8million from Lorient and the France Under-21 star is expected to start the campaign as Bielsa’s (below) No.1.
Casilla’s spot was under threat before his ban because he made a series of high-profile blunders.
Leeds understand Casilla (left) may not want to stay and fight for his place at the age of 33 and will let him leave if he finds another club in Spain.
However, his wages could hamper any move, with his £35,000-a-week contract running until June 2023.
Leeds are in talks with Dinamo Zagreb over their £18million-rated defender Josko Gvardiol.
The 18-year-old is highly rated and Bayern Munich asked about the Croatia Under-21 star in May.