Helder Costa a 'brilliant' Leeds United addition, says man who gave him inside track on Elland Road

Barry Douglas won the 2017/18 Championship title alongside Costa at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Scot contributed five goals and 14 assists from left-back, while the Portuguese added five goals and six assists of his own from both flanks.

When Costa was considering a move to LS11, he turned to his fellow title winner for advice and Douglas was only too happy to play his part in helping Leeds land the 26-year-old on loan – initially – from Wolves.

The deal will become permanent this summer and Leeds will eventually have shelled out around £15m for the winger.

“He spoke to me and asked a bit about the club, what it’s like, the team, style of play,” said Douglas.

“Again, you can only tell him so much, you need to see it for yourself and experience it for yourself.

“Obviously I told him about how big the club is, the ambition and that we’ve got a really good group of players, so it would be a positive to have him come in.

“Once I’d sold it to him he just needed to come and find out for himself.”

Costa, who started 16 times in the Premier League last season for Wolves, joined Leeds amid much fanfare on July 3, yet he had to wait until the end of September for his full Championship debut.

Since then, he has been a regular starter for Marcelo Bielsa, without scoring or assisting as many as supporters might have expected.

When the season was suspended owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Costa had three goals and three assists to his name in the Championship.

Douglas agrees with his head coach Bielsa, who has stated on numerous occasions that a player must be given time to grow accustomed to his new team’s style of play.

And the left-back ponders whether Leeds’ style, which requires Costa to pick up his fair share of defensive duties in a man-to-man marking system which can leave little room for him to operate once the Whites win the ball back, means the explosive winger doesn’t always get to show the very best of his offensive skills.

“I think it takes a bit of time to adapt,” said Douglas.

“Helder came in and it’s a completely different style of play he’s used to playing before.

“There’s an adaption period and then the way we play is very intense.

“Sometimes he maybe doesn’t get to show his true attributes because of the style of play.”

But, as the season was winding its way towards the business end, Costa was looking dangerous.

His dribbling ability, which has been on display throughout the campaign, was giving opposition sides serious problems and progressing Leeds up the pitch at a rate of knots.

There had been a steady increase in his output for shots - in 2020 he is averaging 2.6 per game compared with 1.5 in 2019 - passes, tackles and take-ons.

Against Bristol City he ran himself into the ground and his mobility gave him the freedom of the right flank.

Reading struggled to contain his skill and pace and Hull City found him impossible to cope with as Leeds ran riot, Costa coming close to a wondergoal and claiming an assist for Hernandez’ strike.

In the final game before the curtain fell – temporarily everyone at Leeds hopes – on the season, he was a menace against Huddersfield and deserved a goal, at the very least, for his performance, which included an incredible 11 ball recoveries and a 90.7 per cent passing accuracy.

Although he hugs the touchline, as Bielsa likes his wingers to do, Costa is adept at cutting inside with the ball and linking up with right-back Luke Ayling or Pablo Hernandez to build attacks and keep opposition sides guessing.

Douglas has been impressed with his old Molineux pal and enjoyed what Costa has brought to the table both on and off the field for Leeds United in his debut season.

“He’s been brilliant since he came in and he’s done everything asked of him,” said the defender.

“Of course there’s still a little room for everyone to get better and do what they do best but he’s been a definite credit to the squad.

“Helder’s a nice, bubbly guy, loves to have a laugh and joke around.

“He’s quite a laid-back kind of character, doesn’t take anything too seriously which is always nice to have.

“He’s always got a smile on his face.”