Kenny Cooper

Manchester United

While playing with the Dallas Solar 85 Soccer Club in the Dallas Cup, an international youth tournament, Cooper caught the attention of several former NASL players who contacted Jimmy Ryan, Director of Youth Football at Manchester United. Ryan had also once played with Cooper's father when they were both with the Tornado. Ryan contacted the Coopers and invited Kenny to England for a trial. The fact that Cooper's father was a native of England helped grease the skids for Cooper, as United did not need to acquire a work permit for him. Following a successful week-long trial, United signed him on a free transfer. At the time, Cooper had intended to attend Southern Methodist University, but decided to forgo playing college soccer to pursue his professional career.

FC Dallas

Cooper signed with FC Dallas on February 6, 2006, and made an immediate impact on the team. He made his first MLS appearance on April 1, 2006, and scored his first MLS goal, helping FC Dallas to a 3–2 victory against the Chicago Fire. Cooper made his first MLS start the following week against Real Salt Lake on April 8, 2006, scoring the team's first goal in a 2–1 victory. He finished his first MLS season tied for sixth in goals scored with 11 and made 31 appearances. At the start of the 2007 MLS Season, Cooper scored four goals in the first eight games before he suffered a broken right tibia in a 3–1 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy by a strong tackle from Tyrone Marshall…

After the retirement of Brian McBride, Cooper was considered to be a potential long-term solution at striker for the national team. Cooper earned his first cap and goal for the national team on January 20, 2007, against Denmark, where he scored a goal after coming on near the end of the game. He then appeared in a game against Guatemala, played at his MLS club's home stadium, Pizza Hut Park, as a second half sub. He was unable to take part in the 2007 Copa América after he was sidelined with a broken right tibia. On November 20, 2008, Cooper got his first World Cup Qualifying start and his first World Cup qualifying-round goal against Guatemala in the final game of the semifinal group stage. On July 18, 2009, Cooper took a boot to the chest from Roman Torres of Panama, resulting in a penalty kick, which he took to put the U.S. through to the semifinal round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Five days later, Cooper scored near the end of the match against Honduras to give the U.S. a 2–0 lead and to put them safely into the final of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He has a total of 10 international appearances (caps) with 4 goals.

Cooper's father, Kenny Cooper Sr., played professional soccer as a goalkeeper in England before moving to the United States to play for the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League. Cooper was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and, under his father's mentorship, he became an outstanding youth player. After retiring from coaching professional soccer, Cooper's father settled the family in Dallas, Texas, where Cooper attended high school at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas. He was the Dallas area high school player of the year while playing, graduating in 2003.

Cooper married Molly Grimm in Charleston, South Carolina on January 7, 2012. Currently, he lives in Charleston where he is involved with youth soccer coaching.