Mitch Cooper (Newcastle Jets)
Newcastle Jets midfielder Mitch Cooper is no stranger to the spotlight. Cooper made headlines as the youngest A-League captain in history at 17 years and 152 days in February 2012, skippering the now defunct Gold Coast United in a match that was also his senior debut. Since that unconventional introduction to senior football, Cooper has been blighted by a string of setbacks on and off the field. In December 2013, Cooper was placed on a nine-month good behaviour bond after driving while suspended and has suffered two anterior cruciate ligament injuries, one to each knee, nine months apart.
Since his debut, Cooper has managed just 11 A-League appearances. However, the youngster has fully rehabilitated both knees, avoided off-field indiscretions and completed an uninterrupted preseason. The Jets claimed the wooden spoon last season and managed a paltry three wins and struggled to find goals. Cooper’s versatility in that he can appear through the middle and out wide will provide the Jets with an added string to their bow. Cooper has the tools to succeed in the A-League and 2015-16 represents his best chance yet to establish himself.
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