Liam Cooper on 'really sad' situation at Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday are seeking just a second win of the season when they face Sheffield United on Sunday

Liam Cooper has claimed that the team are extra motivated for Sheffield Wednesday’s derby clash against Sheffield United this weekend due to the sad situation at the club.

The Owls will have their relegation from the Championship confirmed with a defeat at Bramall Lane on Sunday.

Even a victory against their local rivals may not be enough to maintain their second division status for another week, depending on results elsewhere over the weekend.

Henrik Pedersen’s side have won just one fixture all season, and are on minus seven points due to an 18 point deduction they’ve received from the EFL for multiple rule breaches.

Sheffield Wednesday are currently in administration, and are still awaiting ratification from the EFL for a takeover led by James Bord to go through.

Liam Cooper explains extra Sheffield Wednesday motivation for Steel City derby

Cooper has claimed that the Sheffield Wednesday players will be extra motivated to perform in their upcoming clash this weekend against their bitter rivals Sheffield United.

He’s acknowledged that it’s been a really tough time for the fans, and for employees who were not paid on time on multiple occasions in the last year, and that the trip to Bramall Lane is an opportunity to put a smile on their faces.

“It’s not for ourselves,” said Cooper, via The Star.

“Don’t get me wrong, we’ve been through the mill.

“But I think our fans have been through it more than anyone, the people associated with the club that didn’t get paid over a certain number of months, it’s really sad and it should never happen to a football club - especially a football club like this.

“To give people a bit of happiness, to put a smile on fan’s faces would mean the world to us as a group of individuals and as a team.

“That’s the message this week to the boys.

“We’ve got a few more training sessions to go and we’re all looking forward to the weekend.”

Sheffield Wednesday have lost their last nine league games in a row, and will be officially relegated from the Championship if they fail to win on Sunday.

The Owls may even already be down by the time they kick-off at Bramall Lane, depending on results elsewhere in the weekend’s action.

However, Pedersen’s side will still be keen to avenge the 3-0 loss they suffered against Chris Wilder’s side at Hillsborough earlier in the campaign.

Sheffield Wednesday will travel to face the Blades on 22 February in a 12pm kick-off.

Relegation threat is irrelevant for Sheffield Wednesday against Sheffield United

Sheffield Wednesday’s form is obviously quite bad at the moment, but that doesn’t matter going into the derby given the emotions involved in such a fixture.

Pedersen’s side scored their first goal in nine games in their 2-1 loss to Millwall last weekend, which is a promising sign.

It has been a miserable campaign for the club, but if they can get a result against Wilder’s side, and dent their hopes of a play-off place, then that will be a big positive for supporters to take.

Cooper’s comments show that the players know the importance of this fixture, and that should make for quite an occasion on Sunday.