Sheffield United: Chilled Michael Cooper given top-flight backing after “lunatic” Dean Henderson comparison
Asked to sum up his style of goalkeeping in one word, Michael Cooper ummed and aahed for a second before delivering the perfect description: “Chilled.” The Sheffield United goalkeeper was sitting in the Blades’ media room, days before surely the biggest game of his life so far, and Saturday’s play-off final against Sunderland didn’t seem to be playing on his mind one bit.
That isn’t to say that United’s player of the year doesn’t care. He is deadly serious about his craft, as demonstrated by his performances for the Blades since his bargain move from Plymouth Argyle in the summer. But one of the most impressive aspects of his character on the field is his laid-back nature, which exudes a real calmness to his back four, his manager and his supporters.
Even if it does get him in domestic trouble occasionally off the pitch. “Being myself gets me in trouble in my normal life as well,” he smiled. “I get told off for being too chilled out sometimes and not being on it with stuff, from the missus and the parents. So it comes into my football as well. I’m just me, chilled out. I just like to play my football, do my job as a goalkeeper and not make too much of a fuss about it.”
Such a temperament could be vital on the grandest stage of all, when Cooper makes his first appearance on the Wembley turf. He has been part of a day out there before, as an injured part of the Plymouth squad for their 4-0 Football League Trophy defeat to Bolton Wanderers in front of almost 80,000 in 2023.
Bolton had another impressive young English goalkeeper between their posts that day, in James Trafford, who will play Premier League football again next season after helping Burnley pip the Blades to automatic promotion. At least privately, Cooper’s burning ambition will be to join him in the top-flight – a stage on which boss Chris Wilder feels his No.1 belongs.
On the evidence so far, it’s difficult to argue. United have a good recent track record with goalkeepers, with Dean Henderson and Aaron Ramsdale both going on to become England internationals after their time at Bramall Lane. Wilder even went as far as to describe the charismatic Henderson, who won the FA Cup last weekend with Crystal Palace, as the best in the country.
“I’ve gone from one extreme to the other, haven’t I, really?” said Wilder on Henderson and Cooper, two impressive goalkeepers with two very different personalities. “In terms of having a lunatic in goal for us for two seasons. It was absolutely outstanding. And I love him to pieces. For me, he’s the best goalkeeper in the country.
“Every time I send him a message, I always say: ‘England’s number one, how are you?’ And he always comes back in a positive fashion. Michael’s completely different to that. Listen, the goalkeeper’s job is to ideally keep the ball out the back of the net.
“It’s to be calm. It’s to make big saves; big saves in big moments when they have to. And they’ve both done that. Michael’s contribution to the team this year has been outstanding. It was a smart signing for us, and Michael’s grown and grown.
“Hopefully this is just another step up for him. He certainly can play at the highest level. And that’s what we’re all aiming to do come Saturday night. These players come to this football club for big days, big games, big occasions. And they don’t come any bigger than Saturday.”
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