Leeds United captain Liam Cooper and Patrick Bamford have paid tribute to head coach Marcelo Bielsa, following his departure from the club on Sunday morning.
Bielsa, 66, was relieved of his duties after a run of four successive Premier League defeats, including Saturday's 4-0 home loss against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Argentine leaves the Whites just two points above the relegation zone, with 18th-placed Burnley having two games in hand.
Cooper, who retained the captaincy after Bielsa's appointment in 2018, has labelled his former boss as a club legend and hailed his influence on both the club and the city of Leeds.
A post on Twitter from Cooper read: "You United a club, a city & a team going nowhere. I will be forever grateful for everything you and your staff did for me and my family. A club legend of our era. Gracias Marcelo."
You United a club, a city & a team going nowhere. I will be forever grateful for everything you and your staff did for me and my family. A club legend of our era. Gracias Marcelo 🤍 pic.twitter.com/wiacGcoxmh
— Liam Cooper (@LiamCooper__) February 27, 2022
Bamford, who scored 43 goals in 118 appearances for Leeds under Bielsa, also posted a short message on Instagram which read: "Thank you. The man who changed everything for everyone."
Bielsa, who steered Leeds to the Championship title in 2019-20 and secured their promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years, oversaw 81 victories, 30 draws and 59 defeats in 170 games in charge of the club.
