Stuart Dallas signs new Leeds United contract after outstanding Premier League debut season

The versatile Northern Ireland international is one of Elland Road’s longest-serving players, coming from Brentford in 2015, but as the team has upped their levels during that time, so has he.

Dallas was a ubiquitous league in a tough season, scoring eight goals, but it was as much the quality as the quantity of the football he played, winning the club’s Player of the Year and the overall Player of the Year award. year.

The 30-year-old appeared to have been named as the top left-back at the start of 2020-21, his main post in the promotion campaign leading up to but has become indispensable as a central midfielder.

Dallas has started full or full in 15 of the season’s opening 18 games, but only five of the last 18.

Dallas joined the club as a winger, but when Marcelo Bielsa arrived as coach in 2018, the need for players with the intelligence and versatility to change positions as the team formed he team changes during a game have become crucial. It’s usually a role change for Dallas that is fundamental for a change as Leeds go from a back four to a back three or some other modification in response to the pattern of play and the approach of the opposition. .

In April, Bielsa paid Dallas the immense compliment of comparing him to Javier Zanetti, the Inter Milan legend who won 143 caps for Argentina, many when his compatriot Bielsa was coach.

“I had a player like Dallas, Javier Zanetti, and also Julio Saldana, whom I had when I first coached at Newell’s,” said the Leeds coach.

“These two players are a lot like Dallas in terms of versatility.

“Dallas is a very powerful and powerful player. He can play with either foot, his right or his left, he is good in defense.

“He has the ability to combine as well as run races which allows him to thrive playing in the middle.

“He has a change of pace and surprise when he attacks. It’s very difficult to find all of that in one player.

For such a reliable player, Dallas has sometimes reached new heights.

His performance at Manchester City in April, where he continued to run positive runs from central midfielder despite Liam Cooper being sent off in the first half, was exceptional and rewarded with both Leeds goals, and his winner was elected the club’s goal of the season.

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