Scotland defender Liam Cooper is gutted for teammate Lyndon Dykes after the striker was ruled out of the European Championships, but he says the squad would love it if he decided to come along to Germany anyway to cheer them on.
One of the key building blocks of Steve Clarke’s success as Scotland coach thus far has been the team spirit he has forged, with players often comparing the atmosphere around the camp to a tightly knit club side.
That meant that the rest of the squad took Dykes’ injury to heart, but the flip side is that their close bond has also helped them all to deal with it, and Cooper hopes it will also help Dykes to have his teammates around him as he comes to terms with the news.
“Obviously the Lyndon one was a big one,” Cooper said.
“He’s a very important player in the team, not just with what you guys get to see on the pitch, but around the place too. He is held in high regard by everyone in the squad.
“I spoke to Lyndon personally and he is just absolutely gutted, as anyone would be.
“I think anything we say to him right now is hard to take in. I think he’s just got to sort of accept what happened.
“It’s a difficult moment for him and I don’t know what he’ll do. I’m sure the manager will give him the option to come and be around the team, because I think the boys would like that and would benefit from that.
“He’s been a great player for Scotland, and he’s certainly going to be missed, so I’d just like to go on record to send my regards to him. He will definitely be missed and we all wish him a speedy recovery.
“It hit the lads hard. He went straight away to get his scan and we were all just keeping our fingers crossed for him.
“Obviously when you get the news it is difficult, but he came down to see us and we’ve spoken to him personally.
“We’re just gutted for him really. He’s someone who has worked hard since The Championship season finished to be in top, top physical condition, but this is football. This is the tough side of the game.
“It’s just heartbreaking for him and his family, but I’m sure he will be there in some sort of capacity, and we will welcome that with open arms.”
Despite the injury woes that Scotland have suffered, Cooper says there is no way that any of them will be taking their foot off the pedal as they gear up for the Euros.
“I’m a firm believer that you have got to train how you play,” he said.
“I think it is when you take your foot off the gas when these sort of things can happen, if you are going half-hearted into challenges in training and stuff like that. I think you put yourself at more risk.
“So, we’ve got to give it everything in training, and trust our bodies.”
And that will also be the message as Scotland kick off their friendly preparations with a tie against minnows Gibraltar in Faro tonight, with Clarke’s men treating it the same as the forthcoming tournament opener against Germany a week on Friday.
“Let’s be honest, we are going to play the best teams in Europe and in the world, so we need to be at full tilt every single day to be at our best,” he said.
“That’s what the manager drives from within, that’s what his staff drive and that is what they expect of us.
“This group is not stupid. We know what we need to do and we know where we need to be at.
“Hopefully we are all in great shape coming into the big one.”
Cooper himself could do with some minutes after finding himself in and out of the Leeds United team this season.
An excruciating plantar fascia injury has hampered his campaign, but the 32-year-old says he is raring to go for his country.
“I’ve not played as many games this season, but I’ve been fit for selection,” he said.
“I had the injury at the start of the campaign but I feel ready.”
