Liam can continue the Leeds legacy after a long, long wait
If Liam Cooper finally makes his Scotland debut against Russia on Friday night, it will have been a decade in the making.
The Leeds United centre-half, who stands to benefit from the absence due to injury of Scott McKenna and John Souttar, featured in two squads under Gordon Strachan – without getting the nod.
In fact, you have to go back to September, 2009, and an Under19 international against Iceland at Forthbank for Cooper’s last run out in a dark-blue shirt.
“Every manager has their reasons for not picking you,” said the Hullborn 27-year-old, who has a thick Yorkshire accent but qualifies through his Scottish grandfather.
“At the time, when you don’t get a game, you are bitterly disappointed.
“However, looking back, maybe I wasn’t ready for international football, and that’s why I wasn’t selected.
“And maybe I would have been back in sooner if it hadn’t been for niggly injuries last year.
“These things happen, that’s football. I don’t think you can get too downhearted.”
Instead of sulking, Cooper focused on how he could make himself impossible to ignore.
“You just have to concentrate on yourself. If you are doing well at club level, then eventually you will get recognised by your country,” he said.
“I’m very confident in my ability, so I always believed I would get back into the set-up.
“I think my game suits international football. In the back of my head, I was always confident of stepping up to play for Scotland.
“And now the call has come, I couldn’t be more delighted as it is a real honour to be involved with the national side.
“I definitely feel that I am ready to play and step up. I’m ready to make my debut on Friday. I can’t wait.”
As Cooper admitted, he owes a debt of thanks to club boss Marcelo Bielsa, who has proved himself a willing ally in his quest for full international recognition.
“A lot of the credit has to go Marcelo and his staff as they have brought my game on in so many ways,” he said of the input made by the former Argentina and Chile manager.
“The way they have brought me on and given me the responsibility of captain, has been invaluable.
“Since I was a young lad, I’ve always been hard-working and someone who takes something from every training session.
“But over the past two years, I feel I have really come into my own, performing better in my role and becoming more consistent.
“I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, and believe I’m coming into the prime of my career.
“Leeds are a very demanding club, so stepping up to international football will be nothing new.
“Steve Clarke is going to have his own ideas, but as a player you have to be adaptable to different styles.
“At Leeds, we play different formations. I can play any position in a three or a four at the back.”
That flexibility can help establish Cooper in the Scotland starting line-up during the push for a Euro 2020 place and beyond.
And it will revive Leeds’ long tradition of Scottish internationalists such as Billy Bremner, Peter Lorimer, Joe Jordan, Frank and Eddie Gray and fellow centre-half, Gordon McQueen.
“The dream for me is to become Scotland’s number one centreback,” Cooper admitted.
“If I can become a Premier League player next season, in a year’s time I’ll be able to look back on some very positive achievements.
“For now, though, I am concentrating on the games against Russia and Belgium, and hopefully the end of what has been a long wait for something that will be a big honour.”