Stuart Dallas signed for Leeds United during last summer’s transfer window in what many saw as something of a surprise transfer from Brentford.
Dallas, a mulit-capped Northern Ireland international, arrived at Elland Road at the start of August 2015 on a three-year deal for an ‘undisclosed fee’ reported to be around the £1.3m mark by some observers. He arrived on the back of almost a full Brentford campaign in the 2014/15 Championship, making 43 appearances and scoring eight goals for the Bees.
It was a surprise when Leeds signed Dallas and he went on to have an excellent début season for the Whites, scoring five times and providing six assists in a season that was topped off with him receiving the Players’ Player of the Year Award at the end of season awards ceremony.
Dallas went on to star for Northern Ireland at the Euro 2016 championships, as well as getting married afterwards, in what was a hectic summer for the 25-year-old left-sided midfielder. He has featured in three of the four Championship games so far for Leeds, playing the full 90 in the 3-0 opening defeat by QPR and 62 minutes from the bench against Birmingham and Fulham. He didn’t feature in the 2-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday, boss Garry Monk preferring to start with Alex Mowatt and Hadi Sacko on the flanks.
However, in his pre-Luton Town press conference Monk mentioned that he feels that the exertions of the Northern Ireland winger over the summer have taken their toll and that he isn’t yet where the club want him to be in terms of match fitness (below).
Stuart Dallas in contention but Monk said Dallas still needs to get up to speed after his summer at the Euros. Working on his sharpness.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) August 22, 2016
Emphasising that Dallas is focussing on his ‘sharpness’, Monk envisages that the international break will see Dallas back to his best for Leeds United. However, in the meantime, Monk stresses that this will not preclude him from being selected saying the Northern Ireland winger is still “available to play,” according to Phil Hay.
