{{short description|Welsh footballer (born 2000)}} {{Use British English|date=March 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Brandon Cooper | image = File:Brandon Cooper 26122024 (1).jpg | caption = Brandon Cooper in 2024. | full_name = Brandon James Cooper<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/image/201920/efl-professional-retain-list--free-transfers---2018-19.pdf |title=Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2019 |publisher=English Football League |access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|1|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Porthcawl, Wales | height = 1.85m<ref>https://www.whoscored.com/players/362818/show/brandon-cooper</ref> | position = Centre-back | currentclub = Salford City | clubnumber = 15 | youthyears1 = 2006–2018 | youthclubs1 = Swansea City | years1 = 2018–2024 | clubs1 = Swansea City | caps1 = 5 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2020 | clubs2 = → Yeovil Town (loan) | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2020–2021 | clubs3 = → Newport County (loan) | caps3 = 19 | goals3 = 1 | years4 = 2022 | clubs4 = → Swindon Town (loan) | caps4 = 8 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2023 | clubs5 = → Forest Green Rovers (loan) | caps5 = 21 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2023–2024 | clubs6 = → Leyton Orient (loan) | caps6 = 14 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2024–2025 | clubs7 = Leyton Orient | caps7 = 45 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2025– | clubs8 = Salford City | caps8 = 9 | goals8 = 0 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = Wales U17 | nationalcaps1 = 7 | nationalgoals1 = | nationalyears2 = | nationalteam2 = Wales U19 | nationalcaps2 = 8 | nationalgoals2 = | nationalyears3 = 2018–2021 | nationalteam3 = Wales U21 | nationalcaps3 = 9 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | club-update = 08:23, 16 November 2025 (UTC) | nationalteam-update = 21:43, 17 November 2020 (UTC) }}
'''Brandon James Cooper''' (born 14 January 2000) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for {{English football updater|SalfordC}} club Salford City. He is a former Wales Under-21 international.
Cooper began his career with Swansea City, coming through the clubs academy before making his début in 2018. However, he failed to make the breakthrough into the first-team, and spent time on loan at National League club Yeovil Town, Newport County and Swindon Town in League Two, and League One teams Forest Green Rovers and Leyton Orient, where he signed permanently in 2024. After 18 months he signed for Salford.
==Club career== ===Swansea City and various loans=== Cooper had been at Swansea since the age of 6. He played for the Swansea under-18s and under-23s then signed a professional contract extension in March 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cooper Signs new Swans deal |url=https://www.swanseacity.com/news/cooper-signs-new-swans-deal |website=Swansea City FC |access-date=28 August 2018}}</ref> He was handed his debut for Swansea on 28 August 2018 in a 1–0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45254463 |title=Swansea City 0–1 Crystal Palace |last=Marsh |first=Philip |publisher=BBC Sport |date=28 August 2018 |access-date=29 August 2018}}</ref>
On 7 February 2020, Cooper joined National League side Yeovil Town on loan until the end of the 2019–20 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ytfc.net/news/2020/february/transfer--brandon-cooper-signs-on-loan/ |title=Transfer {{!}} Brandon Cooper signs on loan |publisher=Yeovil Town F.C. |date=7 February 2020 |access-date=7 February 2020 |archive-date=12 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200912193011/https://www.ytfc.net/news/2020/february/transfer--brandon-cooper-signs-on-loan/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On 7 September 2020, Cooper joined League Two side Newport County on a season-long loan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newport-county.co.uk/news/2020/september/brandon-cooper-joins-exiles-on-season-long-loan-deal/ |title=Brandon Cooper joins Exiles on season-long loan deal |website=newport-county.co.uk |date=7 September 2020 |access-date=7 September 2020}}</ref> He made his debut for Newport the next day, starting a 1–0 EFL Trophy defeat to Cheltenham Town.<ref>[https://www.skysports.com/football/Newport-vs-Cheltenham/428739 Cooper Newport debut]</ref> He made his football league debut on 12 September as a half time substitute for Matt Dolan in the 1–1 draw for Newport County against Scunthorpe United on the first day of the 2020–21 League Two season.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54038210 Taylor Cooper league debut]</ref> Cooper scored his first football league goal for Newport in a 2–1 league win against Harrogate Town on 31 October.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54671224 Cooper scores for Newport]</ref> Cooper was selected as the October EFL Young Player of the Month.<ref>[https://www.efl.com/news/2020/november/brandon-cooper-named-efl-young-player-of-the-month/#:~:text=On%2Dloan%20Newport%20County%20defender%2C%20Brandon%20Cooper%2C%20has%20been,Sky%20Bet%20League%20Two%20standings. Cooper young player of the month]</ref> On 5 January 2021, his loan at Newport ended when he was recalled by Swansea.<ref>[https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/18987459.brandon-cooper-recalled-newport-loan-swansea-city/ Cooper recalled]</ref>
On 29 January 2022, Cooper joined League Two side Swindon Town on loan for the remainder of the 2021–22 season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2022/january/done-deal-cooper-is-a-red/ |title=Done Deal: Cooper is a Red! |publisher=Swindon Town FC |date=29 January 2022 |accessdate=29 January 2022}}</ref> Cooper made his Swindon debut in the starting line-up for a League Two 1–1 draw against Crawley Town on 2 February.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59187470 Cooper Swindon debut]</ref>
On 2 January 2023, Cooper signed for League One club Forest Green Rovers on loan until the end of the 2022–23 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fgr.co.uk/news/cooper-becomes-first-january-addition|title=Cooper becomes first January addition|website=www.fgr.co.uk|date=2 January 2023|accessdate=2 January 2023}}</ref>
===Leyton Orient and Salford City=== On 1 September 2023, Cooper joined League One club Leyton Orient on loan until January 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.leytonorient.com/news/2023/september/01/brandon-cooper-joins-the-o-s-on-deadline-day/|title=Brandon Cooper joins the O's on Deadline Day |website=www.leytonorient.com|date=1 September 2023|accessdate=16 January 2024}}</ref> On 16 January 2024, he returned to Orient on a permanent basis, joining on a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.leytonorient.com/news/2024/january/16/brandon-cooper-rejoins-the-o-s-on-permanent-deal/|title=Brandon Cooper rejoins the O's on permanent deal|website=www.leytonorient.com|date=16 January 2024|accessdate=16 January 2024}}</ref>
On 26 August 2025, Cooper left Orient to sign for League Two team Salford City, signing a two year deal with ''The Ammies''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj6y3we9wl1o |title=Salford City bring in defender Cooper |date=26 August 2025 |access-date=26 August 2025 |work=BBC Sport}}</ref>
==International career== Cooper received his first call-up to the Wales senior squad in March 2021 for the friendly match against Mexico and the World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56498830 |title=Brandon Cooper: Swansea City defender promoted to senior Wales squad |date=25 March 2021 |access-date=26 August 2025 |work=BBC Sport}}</ref> He received a further call up in September for a World Cup qualifier against Estonia.<ref>{{cite web |agency=Press Association |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/19631645.brandon-cooper-making-mark-swansea-wales/ |title=Brandon Cooper making his mark with Swansea and Wales |date=7 October 2021 |access-date=26 August 2025 |work=South Wales Argus}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|match played on 13 September 2025}}
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|FA Cup !colspan=2|EFL Cup !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan=7|Swansea City |2018–19<ref name=sb1819>{{soccerbase season|99424|2018|accessdate=7 February 2020}}</ref> |Championship |0||0||0||0||1||0||colspan=2|—||1||0 |- |2019–20<ref name=sb1920>{{soccerbase season|99424|2019|accessdate=7 February 2020}}</ref> |Championship |0||0||1||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||1||0 |- |2020–21<ref name=sb2021>{{soccerbase season|99424|2020|accessdate=13 September 2020}}</ref> |Championship |1||0||0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||1||0 |- |2021–22<ref name=sb2122>{{soccerbase season|99424|2021|accessdate=28 August 2021}}</ref> |Championship |4||0||1||0||3||0||colspan=2|—||8||0 |- |2022–23<ref name=sb2223>{{soccerbase season|99424|2022|accessdate=21 May 2023}}</ref> |Championship |0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||0||0 |- |2023–24<ref name=sb2324>{{soccerbase season|99424|2023|accessdate=16 October 2023}}</ref> |Championship |0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||0||0 |- !colspan=2|Total !5||0||2||0||4||0||colspan=2|—||11||0 |- |Swansea City U23 |2018–19<ref name=sb1819/> |colspan=3|—||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||2{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy}}||0||2||0 |- |Yeovil Town (loan) |2019–20<ref name=sb1920/> |National League |3||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||0||0||3||0 |- |Newport County (loan) |2020–21<ref name=sb2021/> |League Two |19||1||2||0||3||0||1{{efn|name=EFLT}}||0||25||1 |- |Swindon Town (loan) |2021–22<ref name=sb2122/> |League Two |8||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||0||0||8||0 |- |Forest Green Rovers (loan) |2022–23<ref name=sb2223/> |League One |21||0||1||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||22||0 |- |Leyton Orient (loan) |2023–24<ref name=sb2324 /> |League One |14||0||2||0||0||0||1{{efn|name=EFLT}}||0||17||0 |- |rowspan=3|Leyton Orient |2023–24<ref name=sb2324 /> |League One |15||0||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||15||0 |- |2024–25<ref name=sb2425>{{soccerbase season|99424|2024|access-date=16 September 2025}}</ref> |League One |30||0||3||0||3||2||5{{efn|Four appearances in EFL Trophy, one appearance in League One play-offs}}||0||41||2 |- !colspan=2|Total !45||0||3||0||3||2||5||0||56||2 |- |Salford City |2025–26<ref name=sb2526>{{soccerbase season|99424|2025|access-date=16 September 2025}}</ref> |League Two |2||0||0||0||0||0||1{{efn|name=EFLT}}||0||3||0 |- !colspan=3|Career total !117||1||10||0||10||2||10||0||147||3 |}
{{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Salford City F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Brandon}} Category:2000 births Category:Living people Category:Welsh men's footballers Category:Footballers from Bridgend Category:Wales men's youth international footballers Category:Wales men's under-21 international footballers Category:Men's association football central defenders Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Swansea City A.F.C. players Category:Yeovil Town F.C. players Category:Newport County A.F.C. players Category:Swindon Town F.C. players Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. players Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players Category:Salford City F.C. players Category:21st-century Welsh sportsmen