Leeds United bid farewell to Liam Cooper a year ago after a decade at the club, but his spell with CSKA Sofia was short-lived, now set to return to the UK on a free transfer.
Leeds’ Premier League campaign is yet to get underway, but for the division they have just departed, Championship clubs have already featured twice already in the past week.
First the season opener, before an EFL Cup first round of fixtures where United awaited their fate in the second round draw.
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Leeds United face trip to stricken Sheffield Wednesday in EFL Cup Round 2
While EFL clubs battled it out in the first round of the competition, Leeds featured as part oft he second round draw, and were given an away trip to either Bolton Wanderers or Sheffield Wednesday.
The League One side hosted the Championship’s relegation favourites amidst ongoing protests against Dejphon Chansiri’s horrific ownership of the Hillsborough club.
A topsy-turvy affair saw the Owls pegged by three times by Bolton equalisers as the game needed penalties to separate the pair, with Henrik Pedersen’s side coming out triumphant and thus teeing up a Yorkshire derby at Hillsborough in the next round.
📅 #LUFC will make the short journey to Hillsborough, as we take on Sheffield Wednesday in Round Two of the Carabao Cup. Ties to take place week commencing 25th August pic.twitter.com/u9OSBKyfBU
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 13, 2025
Leeds United primed for Liam Cooper reunion ahead of Sheffield Wednesday clash this month
The game itself has enough intrigue around it as is, being a Yorkshire derby between two clubs that were in the same division last season but find themselves worlds apart in terms of their current standing.
However, another layer has been added as The Star reported on Wednesday evening during the match that former Leeds captain Liam Cooper is poised to join the Owls on a free transfer.
(Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)
Cooper won promotion as Marcelo Bielsa’s skipper during the 19/20 season, and made 284 appearances for the club during his ten years at Elland Road, leaving in the summer of 2024 to join CSKA Sofia.
His time in Bulgaria was over swiftly, leaving after less than a year, now set for a return to the EFL, where he could face his former club very soon.
An interesting move for Liam Cooper after his Leeds United spell, but potentially a good one
After being one of the promotion-winning icons at Elland Road from the Bielsa era, it would be odd seeing Cooper turn out in Wednesday colours.
However, it’s definitely a good move for him to head back into the Championship, where he’s definitely got plenty to offer still, at a club that are in dire need of players like him.
It would be a strange moment for Cooper to make his debut for the Owls in a cup clash against the club he called home for 10 years, the one he supports too.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!