Leeds United’s captain Liam Cooper witnessed the club’s U23’s side clinch their Premier League 2 development league title last night.

The defender will be hoping to emulate their success in May with a return to the Premier League and a potential trophy lift of his own.

Ryan Edmondson scored twice in either half to secure top spot in the league knowing a win was all they needed against Colchester United on Monday evening to secure the title.

Carlos Corberan’s side were deserved winners on the night at the JobServe Community Stadium and, in fact, were deserved champions over the course of the season.

Cooper took to social media in the wake of the news to offer his thoughts on the young side’s achievement.

The Leeds captain expressed the U23s team were “different class” having been crowned the 2018/19 PDL North championships.

The verdict

There are still eight games remaining for the senior side to emulate their young cohorts in lifting a trophy come the end of the Championship season.

Be that first, second or via the play-offs, Leeds should use this as inspiration to spur them on in the final weeks of the campaign.

Cooper will have been envisaging himself doing the same come May, and the U23 triumph should catalyse Marcel Bielsa’s men after their damaging defeat to Sheffield United last time out.