Brandon Cooper | One to Eleven
In our new feature, a Swansea City player turns manager as he picks an XI from those he has played with and against in his career to date.
Young defender Brandon Cooper is next to take a turn.
Formation: 4-1-3-2
GOALKEEPER: KRISTOFFER NORDFELDT
He’s probably the most experienced goalkeeper I’ve played with. He’s played quite a few international games for Sweden and he was in goal for both of my senior appearances for Swansea. I haven’t played with a better goalkeeper than him.
RIGHT-BACK: AARON WAN-BISSAKA
I played against him on my senior debut for Swansea against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup. He was starting his rise in that game at the Liberty. As everyone knows, he’s an unbelievable one-v-one defender. There’s a reason Manchester United paid £50 million for him; he’s probably the best right-back in the Premier League at the moment.
CENTRE-BACK: FEDERICO FERNANDEZ
I played alongside him in an under-23s game a couple of years ago. Even though it was just one game, you could see the difference and I learned so much from him. He’s a class player with all-round quality and he’s played for Argentina at a World Cup. He’s probably one of the best players I’ve played with.
CENTRE-BACK: JOE RODON
Joe’s a couple of years older than me and we’ve come through the academy at around the same time. Obviously, he’s gone on to play for the first team and do really well. Whenever I played alongside him, he was always a good partner to have in the heart of defence.
LEFT-BACK: CONNOR ROBERTS
Connor speaks for himself with the amount of games he’s played for Swansea and all the experiences he’s had with Wales. How long he’s been at the club and what he’s achieved is what I want to do. The way he plays, trains and how professional he is; that’s something I’ve always looked up to from a young age.
HOLDING MIDFIELDER: MATT GRIMES
Obviously, he’s been around Swansea for a few years. He’s been here since he was 19, so I’ve known him for quite a while. Last season, he really excelled. He was in the team when I made my debut and he’s a quality player to play with.
RIGHT WINGER: JADON SANCHO
When he was at Manchester City, I played against him a couple of times for Swansea’s age-grade sides. He can do everything; score, assist, skills and pace. Now, he’s scoring and assisting for Borussia Dortmund on a regular basis and is rumoured to have a price tag of around £120 million.
CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: JOAO FELIX
He scored for Portugal in the game when I made my debut for Wales Under-21s. I remember at the time; people were saying he had a release clause of around £120 million. He was class in that game and, obviously, he’s gone on to play for Atletico Madrid.
LEFT WINGER: DANIEL JAMES
His pace and ability to beat players makes him stand out. He’s gone on to play for Manchester United and that shows the calibre of player that he is.
STRIKER: OLI McBURNIE
I’ve played with and against him. His aggressiveness and ruthlessness to score goals makes him stand out. The amount of goals that he scores isn’t like anybody else really.
STRIKER: DIVOCK ORIGI
A Champions League final goalscorer and currently playing for one of the best teams in the world. I played against him in an under-23s game away at Liverpool earlier last season; he was so sharp, technical, strong and powerful. He’s a great player and I learned a lot playing against him.
