Leeds defensive duo Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas sign new contracts at Elland Road.

Leeds United have agreed new contracts with club captain Liam Cooper and winger turned full-back Stuart Dallas.

Newly capped Scotland international Liam Cooper has signed a new five-year contract until the summer of 2024.

Cooper signed for Leeds from Chesterfield for an undisclosed fee in August 2014 which at the time was reported to be about £650k and scored his first goal for the club with a volley from the edge of the box in a 3-1 win over Blackpool.

Cooper spoke of his delight at signing a new deal on leedsunited.com:

“Me and my family are over the moon and what a way to do it with my best mate (Stuart Dallas) as well.

“It’s a bit of a coincidence, but as soon as Leeds wanted to extend my stay it was a no-brainer for me. I have had an unbelievable five years here and I feel like I have really come into my own in the last couple of years and I’m enjoying my football more than ever.

”We’ve got a great squad here, the ambition of the club is massive and I’d be silly not to want to extend. Leeds have stuck by me through thick and thin and so have the fans as well and I’m delighted I can extend my stay.

“We have come a long, long way over the years, Andrea Radrizzani came in with a lot of ambition, he had a vision where he wanted to take the club and we are getting there.

“Everyone has the same aim of promotion and if we can do that, it will be unbelievable for this city.”

Cooper has now made 165 appearances, scoring 6 goals, but it has been his defensive form since Marcelo Bielsa became manager of Leeds United that has truly made him indispensable to Leeds. This form caused him to be named in the EFL’s Championship Team of the Season for 2018/19.

Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Northern Ireland international Stuart Dallas has signed a four-year deal with Leeds until the summer of 2023.

Signed as a winger from Brentford FC for around £1.3m in August 2015, Dallas had a good first season and won the “Player’s Player of the Year” for the 2015/16 season (Charlie Taylor won POTY, Lewis Cook won YPOTY).

Dallas then, at times, struggled to establish himself in the starting 11 for Leeds due a combination of form and injuries. However, he always did a solid job for the side.

Since Marcelo Bielsa became manager Dallas’ versatility has come to the fore with the “Cookstown Cafu” playing on both wings, in central midfield, at as both a left and right-back/wing-back.

After a shaky start to his time as a full-back, Dallas is now playing so well in the right-back role that is expected that Luke Ayling will struggle to win his place back once he gets fit. Given the ability of Ayling, that is a testament to Dallas’ form.

Dallas told the club’s website:

“Firstly for the club to see me as an important figure and to reward me with a new contract, I am delighted with that.

“It’s a good feeling to commit my future, I have been here a while now and there’s nowhere else I want to play at. It’s where I call home, for me it’s home, for my family it’s home and I am delighted.

“Marcelo Bielsa has been massive in helping me, his everyday training is different from anything else and has really helped me.

“This is probably the best football I have played in my career and we have really healthy competition here, which is what we need and makes the team successful.”

Since joining the club, Dallas has made 151 appearances, scoring 15 goals.