Following his announcement earlier today that he was retiring from sport, Liam Cooper wrote a message to his teammate Stuart Dallas of Leeds United.
Dallas suffered a femur fracture during a 4-0 loss to Manchester City at Elland Road in April of 2022, and he has been sidelined for nearly two years due to injury.
The 32-year-old has had several operations to try to get himself back in shape, but he has given up on his quest because it has proven to be too challenging.
Speaking while traveling with Northern Ireland last month, Dallas expressed that he still harbored flimsy aspirations of returning to the field, indicating that he has given this decision careful thought.
Dallas’s heroics during the Marcelo Bielsa-led promotion campaign have cemented him as a club legend in his nine years at Leeds. He appeared in 266 games for Leeds overall.
Following his retirement at Leeds, Cooper writes a note to his “best pal” Dallas.
Earlier this afternoon, Dallas announced his retirement on social media, expressing gratitude to Cooper, Bielsa, and Michael O’Neill in particular. Already, condolences are flooding in.
Cooper has been with Leeds for the whole of the period when Dallas first moved there from Brentford, and he is currently in his tenth and probably final season there.
Dallas described Cooper as a “incredible captain, teammate, and friend whose talent and contribution to the team often goes unrecognized” in his retirement speech. Above all, he describes himself as a “wonderful human.”
After all that they accomplished at Leeds together, Cooper has now become the most recent in a long line of Dallas’ former colleagues to write on Twitter in praise of him and his career, calling him his “best pal.”
He penned, “My best friend! I’m grateful. What a player, and what a better human being still is. Sometimes, life can be incredibly harsh. Just remember that the struggle you underwent to get back into shape is the same struggle that will propel you forward in whatever comes next. We will always be here for you, buddy, and we love you. CLASSIC!
Leeds United faces a sad day with Dallas’ retirement.
Given that this injury is such an unpleasant manner to have to conclude his career, many Leeds supporters will have been saddened to hear this news.
Manchester City at Leeds United – Premier League
Dallas will have given it everything he had to come back to full fitness behind the scenes if his on-field performances are any indication.
But regrettably, it was not meant to be, and personally, I believe that giving up on playing again was the proper choice to avoid any potential problems down the road.
Dallas will probably receive an amazing welcome when Leeds defeats Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. Hopefully, Leeds can advance further so he can enjoy a fitting celebration.
