Leeds United stalwart and ex-Hull City and Huddersfield Town defender Liam Cooper becomes free agent
Former Leeds United captain Liam Cooper has left CSKA Sofia - potentially giving Hull City another chance to secure a reunion.
The 33-year-old started his career with Hull and had a loan spell at Huddersfield Town while cutting his teeth with the Tigers.
However, he is best-known for his decade on the books at Leeds. He captained the Whites to the Championship title in 2020, having been a loyal servant to the club through turbulent years.
Opportunities proved limited for Cooper following the appointment of Daniel Farke as manager in 2023 and he left West Yorkshire last year.
He came close to sealing a return to Hull, only for the move to collapse. The centre-back instead left England, linking up with CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria.
Liam Cooper moves on
A year on from his move, the Scotland international has joined the free agent market following the mutual termination of his contract.
A club statement read: “Liam Cooper is no longer a part of CSKA. The club and the defender have terminated their contractual relations by mutual consent.
“The Scot joined the ‘army’ in September 2024 and played 27 matches, scoring one goal. We thank Liam Cooper and wish him health, luck and success both personally and professionally.”
Hull City’s potential second chance
Hull were keen to sign Cooper last year and many would argue he would have been a shrewd addition.
The defender boasts a wealth of experience, particularly at Championship level, and can combine ball-playing with the grittier side of EFL defending.
Hull endured a difficult 2024/25 season, coming dangerously close to suffering relegation to League One. They are now under a transfer embargo, meaning the free agent market is of even greater interest to them.
If Hull have retained their interest in Cooper, now may be the time to pounce. A move back to England, especially to a division he knows well, could prove appealing.
Crucially, he is available to pick up as a free agent and could give Hull an injection of experience without the need for a fee.
Liam Cooper on collapse of proposed Hull City homecoming
Regarding the collapse of his proposed Hull homecoming last year, Cooper told Leeds Live: "Things were happening.
“Obviously, I was invited to game, and things were getting a lot closer. And then finally, at the last minute, the deal changed – so that was it for me, really.
“The deal changed last minute, and I was out. I just said ‘no, I can't do that’, and I walked away from it. So obviously, there were talks, and it was close, but as soon as the deal changed, that was me out of there.”
On his left-field move to Bulgaria, Cooper said: “I think if you speak to any football player, I'm sure they'll agree that at one stage in their career they wanted to have tested themselves and played abroad and that was a big thing that sat on my shoulder.
“Obviously I'm 33 years old now and probably not got as long in the game as I'd like to have… I just wanted to experience that before my career was over.”