Leeds United hit the jackpot with £600k Chesterfield FC deal: View | OneFootball

Scottish international defender Liam Cooper became a Leeds United club legend after leaving Chesterfield in 2014 to spend a decade at Elland Road.

A player spending a decade with one club is all too rare in today's game. Those that do spend such a prolonged length of time with a team are often seen as legends by the supporters, while their longevity signifies their value and importance on the pitch, often outlasting numerous managers and a plethora of teammates along the way.

Liam Cooper's 10-year spell with Leeds United came to an end over the summer, and while it involved many highs and lows, he was undoubtedly a fantastic piece of business for the club back in 2014, when they bought the centre-back from League One Chesterfield for a fee reported by the Derbyshire Times as £600k.

Starting out as a youngster with Hull City, Cooper had loans with Carlisle United, Huddersfield Town and Chesterfield between 2011 and 2013.

Impressing during his time with the Spireites, the defender made a permanent switch to Paul Cook's fourth-tier side, becoming an integral part of a Chesterfield team that would win promotion to League One as champions in 2014.

Cooper's consistent performances caught the attention of bigger clubs, one of which being Championship side Leeds United, who eventually won the race for his signature at the start of the 2014/15 campaign.

Despite a difficult start to his time at Elland Road, with on-field disciplinary issues and mixed form seeing the Hull-born defender in and out of an equally inconsistent Leeds side, despite holding the captaincy, Cooper would go on to become a hugely valued part of things in West Yorkshire.

Bielsa appointment helped Leeds and Cooper kick-on

A somewhat surprising turn of events saw legendary Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa take the reins at Elland Road in the summer of 2018.

The appointment of the former Athletic Bilbao, Marseille and Lazio man, who also spent six years as manager of his national team, was seen as a real coup for the West Yorkshire outfit.

Cooper retained the captain's armband, becoming a vital part of Bielsa's defence, with many talented, technical footballers playing a free-flowing, attacking style ahead of him.

While the centre-back and his colleagues would miss out on promotion in 2019, following defeat to Derby County over two-legs in an epic play-off between the sides, Cooper would lead his side to the Championship title the following season, seeing him reach the Premier League at the age of 29.

Spending the next three seasons in the top-flight, though not always a regular starter, the defender acquitted himself well against some esteemed opponents. His wholehearted commitment and leadership - two attributes that hugely endeared him to the Elland Road faithful throughout his time with the club - came to the forefront once more as the defensive colossus looked comfortable at the top level.

Scottish international now plying his trade in Bulgaria

During his time with Leeds, Cooper, who qualified to play for the country through his grandfather, broke into the Scottish national team, making his debut in a 2019 defeat to Russia.

The centre-back would go on to achieve 19 caps to date, and though now 33-years-old and unlikely to add to that, it's further proof that hard work, desire, and a willingness to lean can take you from the bottom to the top, both domestically and internationally.

Leeds and Cooper were relegated back to the Championship in 2023, and while the defender remained with the club for one more season in the second-tier, he departed over the summer, recently joining Bulgarian top-flight side CSKA Sofia as he looks to sample a new country and culture at the back end of a good career.