Former Leeds United defender Barry Douglas understands better than most what it takes to be promoted from the Championship.
Douglas was a member of the Leeds team that ended their 16-year wait for Premier League football in 2020, having already accomplished the same feat with Wolves two years prior.
Douglas was unquestionably one of the top left-backs in the league at one point, with five goals and 14 assists in 39 games for Wolves.
However, it is fair to say that he did not reach those heights at Leeds, owing to a series of injuries.
Nonetheless, Douglas had firmly established himself as an important member of the dressing room, as supporters were well aware. As a result, his perspective is undoubtedly valued.
Douglas has made some ‘strange’ comments about new Leeds signing Joe Rothwell.
Douglas never had the opportunity to play in the Premier League while at Leeds or Wolves.
Despite his outstanding season at Molineux, he was sold immediately to Leeds. Following Leeds’ promotion, he was loaned to Blackburn Rovers before being released.
Douglas played alongside Leeds’ summer recruit Joe Rothwell at Ewood Park, where he scored three goals and provided four assists from midfield.
That sort of impact in the final third outperformed any of Leeds’ midfielders last season, but it was one of his other qualities that astounded Douglas.
Graham Smyth, speaking on the current episode of the Inside Elland Road Podcast, says he recently spoke with Douglas about Rothwell, who told him he is the quickest player he has ever played with with the ball at his feet.
He stated, “I don’t believe they should enter the season with one extremely forward-thinking eight and two sixes. I believe they need two eights and two sixes. They also need to replace Archie at right-back twice.
“But based on my conversations with a few folks, I believe this is a solid pickup. I spoke with Barry Douglas, who played for Leeds and alongside Rothwell at Blackburn, and he stated he was the quickest player he’d ever seen with the ball at his feet.
“So he’s not the fastest sprinter, but there are others who can defeat him in a straight foot race. But with the ball at his feet, he was the quickest and sharpest player Douglas had ever played with, which I thought was an unusual way of saying it.
Rothwell is not Kamara’s replacement in Leeds.
Rothwell is a decent purchase in terms of squad depth, giving Leeds’ midfield something it lacked last season.
However, any luster around his arrival was removed when Glen Kamara was sold to Rennes only a few days later.
It took Leeds back to the drawing board in terms of midfield depth, and with all due respect to Rothwell, a one-in, one-out approach may have hurt them.
However, many rumors now indicate that Rothwell is not Kamara’s replacement, and that another number eight will be joining, which is wonderful news.
