Leeds legend Terry Cooper recuperates after cancer op

Terry’s son, Mark, manager of League One side Swindon Town, revealed after his side’s 1-0 derby victory over West Country rivals Bristol City at the County Ground on Saturday that his thoughts after the win were immediately with his father, who formerly managed City.

Mark spent the last international break at his dad’s hospital bedside in Tenerife, with Terry in intensive care following a bowel cancer operation.

The operation was thankfully a success, with Cooper snr now convalescing at his home,

Speaking after Swindon’s win, the Robins manager, 45, born in Wakefield, said: “I couldn’t wait to speak to dad.

“He’s back home and just about on a level now where he can focus and talk. He was in intensive care for 10 days and has had that many drugs.

“It was fortunate that when he was at his most critical, it was the international break. We had three players called up then, so we had the weekend off and I managed to get out there for four days.

“The doctors said it was touch and go. I had to get there. He was in intensive care the whole time, it wasn’t nice.

“Thankfully, they say the operations have been successful and he’s clear now and will keep recovering.

“He loves Bristol City and has such fond memories of his time there — as I do because that’s where I started as a player — but for once he’s probably happy they’ve been beaten.’

Cooper, who celebrated his 70th birthday in July, was voted as United’s best ever left-back in a Yorkshire Evening Post ‘Dream Team’ poll in 2011.

Brotherton-born Cooper, who starred for England in the 1970 World Cup, received 47 per cent of the vote for the best-ever Leeds left-back ahead of Tony Dorigo (37 per cent).