Sheffield Wednesday transfer news: Former Leeds United captain completes free transfer

The former Leeds United and Hull City centre-back has signed a contract until the end of the campaign.

With injuries mounting, the fixture schedule getting busier as the end of the year approaching and two Owls players in line to play at the African Cup of Nations, the Championship club successfully persuaded the Football League to allow them to add to their squad despite being under four transfer embargoes for financial misdemeanours under previous owner Dejphon Chansiri.

Wednesday were only given permission to loan Harry Amass and goalkeepers Ethan Horvath and Joe Lumley once the extent of their financial problems became clear.

Amass was only able to join once Manchester United agreed to cover all additional costs, and Horvath and Lumley only when the club were faced with handing a senior debut to a goalkeeper. Horvath arrived on a half-season loan from Cardiff City when first-choice Pierce Charles needed shoulder surgery, and Lumley on a seven-day emergency loan when Horvath was suspended for the Championship game at home to Middlesbrough, the last of Chansiri's chairmanship.

But since the club was put into administration two days later there has been a surge of spending by supporters which has significantly improved the financial situation, and a £1m interest-free loan from a wealthy fan.

That has given manager Henrik Pedersen an opportunity to address some of the areas of weakness in a squad light on both numbers and experience. As a result, it has also been more prone to injuries, with young bodies not yet used to regular football pushed harder than would be the case at other clubs.

The leadership of former Leeds captain Cooper made him an attractive option for a defence in need of reinforcement. The Scotland international has over 400 career appearances, but none since a spell with CSKA Sofia was cut short at the end of its first season.

The 34-year-old came through at hometown club Hull, and was close to rejoining them after being released by Leeds in the summer of 2024, when he was part of Scotland's Euro 2024 squad. Unable to reach agreement with an English club, he moved to Bulgaria instead.

The Owls expect to be able to sign two free agents, and have also been linked with defender/midfielder Timothy Fosu-Mensah and former England winger Nathan Redmond, who trained with Sheffield United in the summer but was unable to win a contract at Bramall Lane.

The Owls' next match is at home to Sheffield United on November 23, though whether Cooper will have the fitness to be able to make his debut in such a game remains to be seen.