Cooper reveals dad's role in celebration

Oli Cooper has revealed the role his father Kevin played in his goal celebration during Swansea City Under-23s' Premier League Cup win at Wolverhampton Wanderers

The attacking midfielder put the icing on the cake at Compton Park with a neat finish in stoppage time to seal a 2-0 win for the young Swans that also secured top spot in Group E.

The goal came at the first-team training ground of Wolves, where his father Kevin made over 60 appearances between 2002 and 2005.

Cooper Sr. is currently based in Malaysia – spearheading a new football academy for the best players from the Special Forces – and, as usual, was up in the early hours watching the progress of his son.

Cooper Jr, who was also on target in Friday’s 2-2 draw with Hull City, celebrated his strike by tapping his chest – a gesture he revealed was a sign of dedication following a recent conversation with his father.

“He told me about how he’d scored many goals at Compton Park in training and that I needed to go and get one as well,” Cooper laughed.

“We spoke before the Hull game and decided that, if I scored, I would tap my chest as a sign that the goal was for him.

“It’s always good to get on the scoresheet. Since the start of the season, I’ve always wanted to make an impact on games – whether that’s by scoring goals or getting assists. Luckily, I’ve managed to do that in recent weeks.

“I’m just trying to get into the best positions and be in the right place at the right time. The players are getting the ball to me, so then it’s up to me to finish it off.”

The 19-year-old, who also found the net when the sides drew 1-1 at Landore in November, is aiming to continue his impressive goalscoring form as the Swans march into the knockout stages of this competition.

The under-23s lifted the title in 2017 before reaching the final 12 months later, and he is hoping for more of the same this season.

“Hopefully, I can just keep my momentum going now and score as many as I can towards the end of the season,” he added.

“Like last year, we want to try to go as far as we can in this competition. It’s always good to embark on a cup run.

“With a bit of luck, we can keep our momentum going – both in the cup and the league – and finish the season as strongly as we can."