A Leeds player has announced his sudden retirement from football due to a freak injury and praised Marcelo Bielsa

Stuart Dallasone of the most outstanding footballers during the cycle Marcelo Bielsa responsible for Leeds United, announced his retirement from professional football on Wednesday after failing to recover from the fracture of the femur in his right leg suffered almost two years ago which prevented him from playing again. And he said goodbye to professional sport with a letter in which he highlighted the best coach he worked with.

The Northern Irish midfielder he was injured on April 30, 2022 during a match that his team lost 4-0 against Manchester City at Elland Road in the 35th round of the 2021/22 Premier League season. In an extremely unfortunate move, the Cookstown-born player collided Jack Grealish While struggling for a ball, he fell to the grass in pain and could no longer get up.

Dallas underwent surgery and went through a very long recovery period. Only in September 2023 was he able to resume Leeds training with his teammates, but the discomfort prevented him from competing again. “Unfortunately, despite my efforts, my body is not progressing as we need, I have to accept that my leg has suffered irreparable damage and that I will no longer play professional football. Obviously I am devastated by this news.”the player said in the long letter he published on his Instagram account on Wednesday.

In that letter, the midfielder dedicates long paragraphs to thanking Juvéve, his wife; to the Leeds medical staff; to club workers; to the sympathizers of Peacocks; to his former teammates (he highlighted defender Liam Cooper in particular) and to the coaches who guided him throughout his professional career, which began in 2010 at the Northern Irish Crusaders Football Club.

Among the technicians He highlighted Michael O’Neill in particularthe leader of the Northern Ireland national team for most of the time in which the player represented his country (he played 62 matches, scored 3 goals and participated in Euro 2016), and, with particular affection, to Bielsawith whom he worked between June 2018 and February 2022.

“The incredible lineup of Marcelo helped me improve not only as a player, but also as a person off the pitch.. At times, Premier League football seemed a million miles away, but he made it. They were the best years of my career and I created memories that I will cherish forever.”assured Dallas, who scored 266 games and 28 goals with the Leeds shirt.

After a couple of experiences in England, at Brentford and Northampton Town, the midfielder arrived at the Juventus club in August 2015 on the initiative of manager Uwe Rosler, who had coached him at Brentford. Demonstrating great versatility (he also played as a full-back on both flanks and as a winger), he was a key piece in his first three seasons.

However, The big leap in performance occurred with the arrival of Bielsa, which has always had him as one of the pillars of its teams. In the 2018/19 season, Leeds finished third in the league and lost in the semi-final of the playoff for their third promotion to the Premier League. In that series against Derby County, Dallas scored two goals. In the following campaign, the team took revenge: he became champion of the competition and achieved his return to the top tier of English football after 16 years.

In his first season in the Premier League, Dallas played all 38 of his team’s games and scored eight goals which helped Bielsa’s team finish in a creditable ninth place. In the following season, he participated in all 35 games of the Peacocks until he suffered the injury that ended his career.

“Of course, everyone at the club is very saddened by this news, but we all wish Stuart the best following his retirement. “It goes without saying that he is an icon of Leeds United and he will always be welcome at Elland Road, his contribution will live long in the memory and has cemented his place in history.” The club underlines this in a statemento in which he reported that he will offer the midfielder “a future role” in the institution and invited fans to pay tribute to the player during half-time of Leeds’ home match against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.