Kalvin Phillips: Leeds United handed ‘huge’ boost after star’s Twitter update – Whelan
Noel Whelan has insisted the return of Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips to training will be a “huge” boost to the rest of the Leeds United squad.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the senior duo will give everyone at Thorp Arch a lift after stepping up their injury recoveries.
Phillips took to Twitter on Wednesday (2 February) to confirm both he and Cooper had returned to training on the grass pitches at Thorp Arch.
The duo have been out of action since December with hamstring injuries.
Whelan admitted the pair’s experience and leadership has been sorely missed.
As such, he insisted the rest of the squad would be lifted by their return to the training pitches.
“These long-standing Leeds players that have been there for years are vitally important to the core of the side,” Whelan told Football Insider’s Russell Edge.
“They’re the heartbeat because they’ve been there from a long, long time ago, through the bad side all the way through to where we are today.
“They hold a lot of respect from the other players that are around them. The club captain and probably a future captain in my eyes.
“When you have those two big personalities back in training, back in the squad again, it’s a huge lift. You look around and you see international, international, international.
“That’s what you want. You need those big, star players and those important players within that squad out there on the field. It gives you such a boost of confidence and belief just having those two around you again.
“Also, bringing that quality in training. It makes people play better and make people work harder because they’re captains, they’re leaders.
“That’s what you want out there every day going into the games that are coming up.”
Cooper and Phillips picked up their respective injuries in the 2-2 draw with Brentford in December.
They have missed Leeds’ last six league games.
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