Liam Cooper once revealed Marcelo Bielsa's bizarre daily habit at Leeds | OneFootball

Leeds hero Liam Cooper has played in bizarre circumstances at Hillsborough and the Sheffield Wednesday ace has revealed Marcelo Bielsa's weird habits.

Liam Cooper's journey from being signed by Massimo Cellino from Chesterfield to becoming Leeds United captain and starring under Marcelo Bielsa, to eventually joining Sheffield Wednesday, is quite remarkable.

The centre-back spent a decade at Elland Road and was central to Marcelo Bielsa's promotion-winning side in 2019/20, ending Leeds United having to spend a 16-year exile from the Premier League by winning the Championship.

Cooper eventually left for CSKA Sofia before returning to England with Sheffield Wednesday in November 2025. He joined on an initial deal until the end of 2025/26, but Cooper penned a one-year extension in the summer and has been a part of Henrik Pedersen's plans thus far.

Liam Cooper reveals Marcelo Bielsa's bizarre daily routine

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Cooper has offered a fascinating insight into just how obsessive Bielsa was during his time at Leeds.The Sunhave previously detailed how Bielsa lived a remarkably simple life in a flat in Wetherby and would regularly head to a Costa coffee shop in the morning to conduct his analysis. Cooper spoke to The Daily Mail and revealed what that analysis meant, stating: "Before games, the manager would predict exactly how things would pan out. I’d never seen anything like it, before or since. I played the best football of my career under Bielsa."

Cooper joked that he had hardly ever seen his manager wearing normal clothes, because Bielsa seemingly spent almost all of his time in Leeds training gear. Speaking to Sky Sports' Super Six podcast on YouTube, he said: "I think he lives in his Leeds United clothes. I've never seen him in normal clothes, he lives, sleeps and breathes football."

All of this is an example of the Argentine's extraordinary commitment to football. Bielsa's world essentially revolved around studying the game, preparing for opponents, and finding ways to improve his players. For Cooper, who was captain throughout much of Bielsa's tenure, this was simply part of everyday life.

The story is amusing, but it also helps explain why Bielsa became so revered: he was willing to dedicate virtually every waking hour to his profession. Leeds players and fans alike adored him for that attention to detail.

Liam Cooper and his Leeds legacy under Bielsa

Cooper's relationship with Bielsa was particularly important because he was trusted to lead the team through one of the most significant periods in Leeds' modern history. Bielsa retained him as captain and relied heavily on his leadership as Leeds finally secured promotion in 2020.

His journey was remarkable in itself, with Cooper having been brought to Elland Road by Cellino from Chesterfield in 2014 before becoming a Premier League captain. Whether every Leeds supporter would class Cooper as a club legend is debatable, but the Sheffield Wednesday centre-back is undoubtedly a heroic figure in the club's recent history.

The 34-year-old made 284 appearances for Leeds, captained them back to the top flight and remained an important figure through the subsequent Premier League years. His relationship with Bielsa was therefore about much more than simply playing under an eccentric manager whom he respected immensely.

Another strange chapter at Sheffield Wednesday is unfolding

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Cooper may have experienced some bizarre moments during his Leeds career, particularly in the Cellino years, but his arrival at Hillsborough came at an equally strange time.

Sheffield Wednesday were engulfed in turmoil during the 2025/26 season, with ownership uncertainty, financial problems, and off-field issues contributing to a disastrous campaign that ended in relegation to League One. Yet Cooper has already experienced that kind of instability and knows how important strong leadership can be when a club is trying to rebuild.

The situation at Wednesday is now considerably more positive under David Storch and Arise Capital, giving Cooper the chance to help establish something far healthier. With Barry Bannan, Liam Palmer and Cooper providing an experienced core around a much-improved squad, Wednesday should now be looking upwards.