Kenny Cooper left Man United in 2006 having rubbed shoulders with some of the club's greats
Kenny Cooper might not have made a first-team appearance for Manchester United during his three years at Old Trafford but Sir Alex Ferguson had no hesitation in giving him a call when the American reached out. Forward Cooper was highly rated during his time with the Reds having impressed on trial following a successful Dallas Cup in his homeland.
Cooper arrived in Manchester through a combination of ability and circumstance. Playing in the much-heralded Dallas Cup tournament, he caught the eye of Portuguese giants Benfica when playing against them and was due to travel to Europe for a trial. Former United player, coach and assistant manager Jimmy Ryan, who had played in America with Cooper's dad, was told the news and swooped in to ensure the Reds had first look.
Players past and present often cite the environment at Old Trafford as being integral to development as anything on the football pitch. Ferguson was at the heart of that and it rubbed off on senior professionals as well. Whether it be Gary Neville warning academy players of putting butter on toast or, in Cooper's case, Roy Keane urging him to keep his eyes and ears open.
"I wasn't training with the first team every day, maybe here and there, and someone might come and train with the reserves but on a daily basis you would see the first team in the canteen and the gym. You had opportunities to interact and it was so important and meaningful and it was so connected in that way.
"A lot of my training habits through the rest of my career I learned from United. There was a culture to stay after and work on their game and for the rest of my career, I always stayed after and worked on my finishing. It built my foundation to be a professional. I learned values I carried with me throughout my career and my life."
Cooper would soon be followed by David Beckham and both remain involved to this day with the latter co-owner of Inter Miami and Cooper working as a club ambassador at Dallas. That role allows him to watch training, help mentor players and play an active role in the community. He has seen first-hand the rise and growth of a league thrust further into the limelight by the arrival of Lionel Messi this summer and with a World Cup to look forward to in 2026.
"A long time ago players maybe wanted to go to Europe but now the experience in MLS is absolutely fantastic and I think the quality on the field is obvious. It is a great place and is only going to get better and better."
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