Liam Cooper lauds Leeds U23 starlet; Caprile makes van Dijk comparison

By Jordan Harris

Liam Cooper has sent a message to Olly Casey on Instagram, while Elia Caprile has jokingly compared the Leeds United under-23 starlet with Virgil van Dijk.

Casey has enjoyed an outstanding campaign as the Whites’ youngsters largely strolled to the Premier League 2 Division 2 title.

(Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)

They sealed promotion with two games to spare. But they only got their hands on the trophy on Monday as they faced Burnley at Thorp Arch in their final game.

It proved to be a fitting occasion. Leeds played some scintillating football as they beat the Clarets 5-2.

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Unsurprisingly, Mark Jackson’s side have been celebrating their achievements on social media following the season finale.

And Casey has become one of the latest to revel in the team’s glory.

The centre-back was lauded by a number of his teammates, including first-team skipper Cooper.

Meanwhile, Caprile seems to have compared Casey with arguably the best centre-back in the Premier League over the last few years…

Casey may not be looking to emulate van Dijk just yet. But he would be forgiven for setting his sights on more first-team football next year.

He looked bright when he got a very brief chance in the Championship last year. And he has featured in a handful of cup games.

Obviously, there is a lot of competition for a chance at centre-back. But Pascal Struijk has shown how quickly a player’s situation can change – and that should inspire the 20-year-old over the coming months.