Tom Cooper
Defender (1934-1939)
Date of Birth: 09-04-1904
Birthplace: Stoke
Debut : 8th December 1934 v Chelsea (A) Football League Division One: Lost 1-4
1st team games: 160
1st team goals: 0
Other clubs: Trentham, Port Vale, Derby County and Wrexham (wartime guest)
National Team: England (1927 - 1934) 15 caps/0 goals
After playing in the Cheshire League for Trentham the Stoke-born right back moved to Port Vale before joining Derby for £2,000 in 1926. He became skipper at the Baseball Ground and an England regular, winning 15 caps and captaining his country as well as gaining Football League recognition.
Liverpool paid £7,500 to sign him in December 1934 and he became skipper, forming a solid full back pairing with his international colleague Ernie Blenkinsop, whom he partnered 10 times for England. A single handicap golfer, the balding Cooper's positional play, tackling and anticipation compensated for his noted weakness in the air and he was one of the stars of his era.
His talent shone during an undistinguished period for the club. He made 160 League and FA Cup appearances for Liverpool but failed to break his duck in the scoring stakes, having managed just one goal for Derby. When the Second World War began, Cooper became a sergeant in the military police and guested as a player with Wrexham and Liverpool.
His last appearance in a Liverpool jersey was, ironically, against his hometown club Stoke at Anfield on April 20 1940. Two months later on army despatch duty he was killed when his motor cycle collided with a bus. After an inquiry into his death all army despatch riders were ordered to wear crash helmets.
Honours with Liverpool: None
Tom Cooper