Super Cooper to build on club form
SWANSEA defender Brandon Cooper plans to build on his progress for club and country while on Wales Under-21 duty.
Cooper has made five starts for Swansea this season and was last month drafted into an injury-hit Wales squad for the World Cup qualifier with Estonia.
“I was proud to get the call-up and train with some of the big names like Gareth Bale,” Cooper said ahead of Wales’ 2023 European Under-21 Championship qualifier in Moldova tonight.
“It’s the next step and it was really good. You get the chance to pick the brains of the senior players off the pitch and it’s great they take an interest in you.”
Building on a successful loan spell at Newport last season, Cooper has made significant Swansea strides since Russell Martin took charge of the Sky Bet Championship club in August.
The 21-year-old has made seven appearances in all this term, including three Championship starts.
“The style the manager has brought has really suited me in terms of playing a lot with the ball,” Cooper said.
“He’s known for that in his short time as a manager already and his high-possession game suits me.
“I’ve had a good start, played in the middle and on both sides in a back three, and hopefully I can play more as the season goes on.”
Wales resume their under-21 qualifying campaign after a thumping 4-0 win in Bulgaria last month.
Jack Vale’s hat-trick helped them into second place in the group behind early pace-setters Switzerland, but the Young Dragons were held to a goalless draw at home by Moldova in their June opener.
Cooper said: “They’re a tough team to play. They work hard, they’re physical and get a lot of men behind the ball.
“It can be difficult to break them down, so we’re going to have to work hard and match what they bring.
“The Bulgaria game was hopefully a turning point, and if we can produce more of that we should be alright.”