Cooper: History in our hands
Liam Cooper bel ieves Scotland can make history at Euro 2020 by getting beyond the group stage for the first time.
The Leeds United skipper says Steve Clarke’s side are brimming with confidence
There are still 19 days to go before Wembley. But Liam Cooper has already put a clear marker down with Leeds United mate Kalvin Phillips.
That if he gets the chance to go up against him at the Euro 2020 Finals, their friendship will temporarily go out the window.
In fact, the big Scotland centre-back has warned the England ace to expect a dull blow from behind early on in the Auld Enemy clash on June 18.
Cooper would love the chance to take on Phillips in the mouthwatering Group D clash. He rates his Elland Road pal highly but insists there will be no love lost between them if they come face to face at Wembley. Cooper is delighted to be part of Steve Clarke’s 26-man squad for the Euros after getting h i ms e l f back into the Leeds side before the end a Premier L e a g ue season where they won plenty of a dmi r e r s for their style of play.
Midfielder Phillips was also a big player for boss Marcelo Bielsa on their return to the top flight.
But Cooper has told him they’ll be arch enemies in a few weeks’ time.
He said: “I’ve told Kalvin, the f irst chance I get in the England game I’m going to come straight up the back of him!
“Some people will call that banter but I’m sure if he gets the chance he’d do the same to me as well.
“Listen, I ’ m here to represent Scotland and want to win.
“I want my family up in Scotland and the whole nation to feel proud.
“I’m professional, I’m honest and want to cause an upset. You could say, we want to do a number on England at Wembley.
“And we’re quiet ly conf ident. We’ve had enough positive results over the period of time to have that confidence.
“We want to take that into the Euros.
“Kalvin knows exact ly what I think of him as a player. I remember him as a lad and I’ve seen the development over his career.
“He was a young boy when I finally got to Leeds.
“To see him improve as a player to the point where he is now with club and country, it’s all credit to himself.
“But that all goes out the window when we play England.”
Another Premier League star who has impressed is Southampton striker Che Adams, now a key man for Clarke and Scotland.
Cooper has also watched the front-man grow down south and hasn’t been surprised by his progress.
He has tr ied to help Adams integrate into the Scotland set-up.
And over the course of the tournament – even if he doesn’t start games in Clarke’s team – the 29-year-old stopper will take on a leadership role within the group.
The Leeds captain said: “Che has managed to score plenty of goals against Leeds.
“I’ve known about him for a long time.
“He’s a very good player and if he gets a chance, 90 per cent of the time he puts it away.
“It’s great to have him on board with Scotland. He’s a lovely lad who works hard – he’s everything you need to be in this squad.
“I can see him making an impact at the Euros. Every player wi l l be looking to do that because it’s the biggest stage in football.
“It’s the opportunity we dreamed of as kids and we’re all so lucky to be here.
“Now we’re looking to put
ou r stamp on the Euros. I definitely feel I’ve got a role to play, in terms of leadership.
“I always take on that responsibility anyway. I try to bring the best out in boys and try to integrate them into the squad.
“We have a few young ones in the group, like Che, and I like to think he can bounce off me.
“I can pass on some knowledge and set an example to others.
“But we have plenty of leaders in this group, I see that every day. The mood in the camp is the best it has been since I came into the set-up.
“It can be difficult coming into a squad as a new player but we’ve now got that club mentality and it’s really good to be part of.”
Cooper has had to graf t for everything he’s got in his career and under club boss Bielsa – a renowned taskmaster – he has to put a shift in every day.
He has likened the Argentinean coach to Scotland boss Clarke who made history by getting us to a major tournament for the first time in 23 years.
Cooper loves being a part of it all and, as he settles into the Scotland squad’s Spanish training camp, he insists team morale couldn’t be better.
He said: “The manager here is as intense as Bielsa in training sessions. He’s been brilliant for us and there are a lot of similarities between them.
“He wants the sessions at high intensity and he gets that. The boys buy into everything he says. He’s only going to improve us – we know that.
“Being on the verge of a big tournament feels like a reward on a personal level because there’s been a lot of sacrifice and hard work put in.
“But it’s the same for this group of lads. The dream has become a reality and we’ve been looking forward to it for such a long time.
“We’ll do everything to make the country proud. The excitement is building now. The boys are all together now and it’s great – it feels like a club. “We’ve only been in Spain a few days but the boys are enjoying themselves.
“We’re looking sharp and it will get a lot more real over the
coming weeks.”