Leeds United captain Liam Cooper has admitted that it took him time to get over last season's play-off semi-final defeat to Derby County, but is hoping that the players can use it as motivation to win promotion this season.

Marcelo Bielsa's side spent much of last season challenging for automatic promotion, but just missed out on a top-two finish to Sheffield United, after losing five of their final nine league matches.

Leeds had another chance at promotion in the play-offs, but lost to Derby in the semi-finals, after the Rams produced an extraordinary comeback in the second leg at Elland Road to win 4-3 on aggregate.

Cooper was involved in a mix-up with goalkeeper Kiko Casilla that allowed Jack Marriott to pull a goal back for Derby in the second leg, before Leeds completely capitulated in the second half.

The centre-back has now admitted that it took him weeks to get over the play-off defeat, but has insisted that the Leeds players will use it as extra motivation to win promotion this season.

The 27-year-old was speaking to the media at a press conference in Australia ahead of the pre-season friendly against Manchester United this week.

"Losing out so late and so last minute it was hard to swallow," said Cooper, as quoted by Leeds Live.

"For the first two or three weeks it was on your mind. You couldn't forget about it.

"I think it's given the lads that extra firepower, the extra burn in the belly.

"We want to play this game [against Manchester United] in the Premier League. We don't want it to be a pre-season friendly. That's the desire of the group."

The Verdict

I totally understand where Cooper is coming from here. Leeds were magnificent in the Championship last season and were unlucky to miss out on automatic promotion.

To lose in the play-offs is one thing, but for it to happen in the way it did must have been extremely difficult for the Leeds players to take.

Cooper is right though, it's important that the Leeds players are able to learn from the experience and I'm sure they will be even more determined to win promotion this season after coming so close last term.

Hopefully they can look back on that defeat to Derby at the end of the forthcoming campaign and see it is the start of something special.