Stuart Dallas, a Leeds United hero, announced his retirement from sport this week, prompting a deluge of congratulations and good wishes from teammates and friends.
With four games remaining in the season, it will be precisely two years since Stuart Dallas last played for the club.
With the Northern Irishman’s horrific injury taking its toll on Dallas at the age of 32, it was unreasonable to expect him to return in any manner before the end of the season.
Stuart Dallas confirms his retirement from football.
After the dust had settled on Leeds’ draw with Sunderland on Wednesday afternoon, Dallas announced his retirement from football at the end of the season in an emotional statement.
Dallas’ contract expires in the summer, and he has decided to end his career, as the femoral fracture he suffered in April 2022 has not healed sufficiently to allow him to return to activity.
He finishes his Leeds career with 267 games, 28 goals and 18 assists, as well as a complete sweep of Players’ Player of the Season, Player of the Season, and Goal of the Season awards in 2021.
Dallas reveals Marcelo Bielsa’s contact during injury absence.
Dallas told LeedsLive that Marcelo Bielsa and his colleagues had been in regular communication with South America to check in on the Argentine’s favourite.
Dallas stated this:
“He’s been in contact. He’s a man of few words, as you’ll know, but, obviously, when he gets going he can talk for a while when he’s trying to get his point across.
“He has been in touch with me, his staff have been in touch with me and whether now the announcement’s out, he gets in touch with me I don’t [know], I haven’t even glanced at my phone since because the messages will be unbelievable.
“He was great for me. Whether or not he contacts me, I will contact him to express my gratitude for what he has done for me.
Dallas goes down as a Leeds United icon.
Paraag Marathe put it up perfectly with Dallas, saying that he embodies everything about this club in the way he plays and carries himself.
He works tirelessly on the pitch, prepared to do whatever is asked of him, is committed, and is just outstanding.
It’s a shame that retirement did not happen on his terms, since seeing him back on the field in any form would have been fantastic.
