Liam Cooper makes Sheffield Wednesday future clear to Henrik Pedersen
It is likely to be a busy summer for Sheffield Wednesday following a takeover of the club
Liam Cooper wants to stay at ‘unbelievable’ Sheffield Wednesday.
The experienced defender signed for The Owls last November on a short-term contract until the end of the season, making 14 appearances before his campaign was cut short by injury in February.
The 34-year-old, who has promotions with Chesterfield and Leeds United on his CV, is back to full fitness now and would relish the opportunity to show everyone what he can do with a full pre-season under his belt.
“I'd love to stay,” he told The Star. “I've made Henrik aware of that and hopefully that can be sorted in the near future, but if not, I've had a great time at Sheffield Wednesday, an unbelievable club.”
The centre-back provided some much-needed experience for Wednesday and his leadership qualities stood-out from the beginning. Cooper, who made his Owls debut against Sheffield United in November before suffering a season-ending injury in the reverse fixture at Bramall Lane, has played in all the divisions from League Two to the Premier League.
With the campaign having only just finished and with new ownership just announced, Cooper understands things might not happen quickly but he has no problem with being patient, such is his desire to play for Wednesday next season.
“Everything's so fresh at the moment, there's a lot of meetings to be had,” he continued. “And yeah, I'm happy to wait. I've really enjoyed my time at the club, and hopefully there can be something there. I think we've got a great chance of bouncing straight back next season. It's an amazing group of people. What they have been through together, the culture is amazing, and I would like to be a part of that. “
Cooper was speaking to The Star at The Yorkshire Classico Padel Tournament, a fundraising event for Weston Park Cancer Charity at Club de Padel in Sheffield. The tournament, organised by FC Padel, saw players from Wednesday, United, Leeds, Barnsley, Rotherham United and Doncaster Rovers go head-to-head on Tuesday night.
“It's a great turnout for the boys, a great cause as well,” Cooper said. “I am delighted to be here, delighted to try and make a difference, and see a few old faces as well. “I know there's a lot of charities within the city who do great work for the community and people suffering and people in need. It's great to be a part of this and raise as much money as we can for those less fortunate. “