Former Leeds United defender Ben Parker has heaped praise on Whites centre-back Gaetano Berardi for stepping in for captain Liam Cooper and leading by example.

With Leeds skipper Cooper out of action due to an injury, Swiss defender Berardi was given back-to-back starts in the side's defence by Marcelo Bielsa and the Swiss ensured that the team kept clean sheets on both occasions.  

 



After the 31-year-old starred in the Whites' central defence against Hull City at Elland Road on Tuesday night, Parker hailed the defender's performance as 'immense'.

The former Leeds star believes Berardi, with all his experience, put in the performance of a leader and led the team by example in the absence of Cooper.
 


The 32-year-old is of the view that the presence of players like Berardi and their performances are important for Leeds to keep registering clean sheets and wins.



"Again Berardi, I keep going back to him, I thought he was immense tonight", Parker said on LUTV post match.

"A real kind of a leader of a performance – stepping in there where you usually find Liam Cooper, the captain – but he has plenty of experience.
 

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"He has been at this club for a number of years now and kind of led by example.

"And that's why I keep saying, we need that kind of platform to go on build upon and get clean sheets. Got the clean sheet, got the three points."

While they have won their last seven games, Leeds have also kept clean sheets in each of their last four games and will be looking to keep the momentum going against Cardiff City this weekend.