Leeds United have announced club icon Stuart Dallas as a club ambassador with immediate effect.
The role for the former Leeds United hero will see him attend matches, community visits, and club events and is his first official role with the club since retiring in 2024, during the end of season run-in.
That ended his nine-year playing career for the club, albeit Dallas failed to make an appearance during his final two seasons at Elland Road.
Back in April 2022, Dallas suffered a serious knee injury in a clash with Man City’s Jack Grealish. It was later confirmed that Dallas had suffered a femoral fracture at Elland Road.
Since then, he has appeared in a punditry role on the likes of Sky Sports, ITV, and LUTV. But also with the BBC, with Dallas loving Isaac Price’s performance for Northern Ireland recently.
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Lucas Radebe reacts to Stuart Dallas’ latest role at Leeds
Dallas has taken up a new role at Elland Road. The new position will see him working closely with the next generation of talent at Thorp Arch.
The official Leeds statement on Dallas read: “Stuart’s infectious personality, along with his dedication to Leeds United and the wider area, will see him regularly attend matches, community visits and club events.
“Whilst he will also be a mentor for a number of young players within the Academy at Thorp Arch in his new role.
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“Everyone at the club is delighted to have Stuart back on board and fans will be able to see much more of the Cookstown Cafu soon, as he takes up his new role.”
Reacting to the news is former Leeds captain Lucas Radebe. The South African spent 11 years with the club, with around six of those as captain, hence his nickname ‘The Chief’.
Radebe said: “Absolutely deserved fantastic role model and great player! @LUFC #MOT”
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Lucas Radebe loves Leeds utility players, including James Milner
Of course, Dallas was Leeds’ modern-day utility man, given his ability to cover both full-back positions, the winger positions, as well as operating as more of a box-to-box or attack-minded central midfielder.
However, before Dallas, Leeds had one of English football’s most famous utility men. Radebe was captain of the club when James Milner also broke through.
Radebe has described Milner’s rise and his breakthrough into the first-team back in 2002 as a 16-year-old.
He said: “He played with me. That’s amazing. That’s how they bring up the youngsters as well, because he was in the academy.
“He was absolutely brilliant. He’s never changed. He’s always been the same: hard work, being respectful of what he does and respectful of his elders.”