Stuart Dallas on another Whites chameleon, Patrick Bamford and prospect of taking Leeds United up

LEFT back, right back, winger or centre midfield; it’s all the same to Stuart Dallas.
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For once, though, Leeds United’s Northern Ireland international found someone else moved ‘out of position’ in his side’s latest test.

Formerly recognised as a natural winger, Dallas is now happiest at full-back as his 29th birthday nears.

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For most of the season, Brighton loanee Ben White has sat alongside him at centre-back as part of the best defence in the division.

SETTLED: Leeds United's Stuart Dallas, right, picture in action from left back in Saturday's 2-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.SETTLED: Leeds United's Stuart Dallas, right, picture in action from left back in Saturday's 2-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.
SETTLED: Leeds United's Stuart Dallas, right, picture in action from left back in Saturday's 2-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.

Dallas, though, is not the only member of United’s squad who has become something of a Whites chameleon and able to readily adapt into something else when called for.

In two of United’s last three games, White the centre-back has become White the holding midfielder in the absence of Leeds’ Yorkshire Pirlo Kalvin Phillips.

Having already been fielded in both full back positions and also as a centre midfielder this term, Dallas is perfectly placed to comment on the task of switching roles.

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And rather like for himself, for White it has been mission accomplished with Dallas, meanwhile, merely delighted to be so heavily involved in whatever position Bielsa decides.

“I’m happy to be playing whether it’s left back, right back, centre midfield or wherever,” Dallas told the YEP.

“I prefer playing at full back whether it’s left or right.

“I’m happy to be playing, I’m happy to be performing how I am but I know that I have still got a lot to improve on.

“I am learning from the best in the manager that we have and I am delighted that I am playing.”

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Reflecting on White’s new art of switching positions to a defensive central midfielder, Dallas said: “Ben is a good player.

“He’s not silly, he knows what to do and he’s watching Kalvin.

“But we learn from the coaching staff every day and he’s not just thrown in there.

“He works really hard in that position.

“The coaches work really hard on his position and his movement and everything and he has done really well.

“He has put himself about and I am delighted for him.”

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Phillips now looks set to return from his knee injury for Sunday’s clash at Cardiff City, allowing White to slot back into the centre of defence with Dallas alongside at left back.

Leeds will head for south Wales with a seven-point cushion in the division’s automatic promotion spots with Dallas and his team-mates having now kept five consecutive clean sheets in five straight wins.

Nine goals without reply during that period have helped the Whites to 15 quickfire points whilst also significantly improving their goal difference with striker Patrick Bamford ending a run of seven games without a goal when netting United’s second in Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town.

“I’m delighted for him,” said Dallas on Bamford.

“He has come in for a lot of criticism recently but he has got a goal against Huddersfield and it doesn’t matter how they come.

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"He is there in the right place at the right time and that’s what all good goalscorers do.

“He’s massive for us and hopefully that will do him the world of good.”

Just as a goalscoring Bamford will also be hugely beneficial to Leeds as the Whites look to finally end what will be a 16-year wait for Premier League football.

Dallas, now in his fifth season at Leeds, could be looking at a dream summer with club and country with Northern Ireland potentially two games away from stepping out at the European Championships.

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The winger turned full back might well be stepping out there as a Premier League player.

Dallas, though, is refusing to fully contemplate just how that would feel both personally and for his club until the deal is sealed.

“Just to get Leeds back there would be incredible,” said Dallas.

“It’s probably not worth thinking about at the minute because you don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself but to get back there, to get to the Premier League for a club like this would be unbelievable.

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“You can see what it means to the fans, they have come here week in, week out for years.

“They have had a lot of hurt and they deserve it more than anyone.

“We know how much backing the fans give us and it’s up to us to deliver.”

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