Leeds United hero Stuart Dallas is still very much involved at the club, doing media work for LUTV and Sky Sports as well.
Dallas was outstanding during Leeds United’s last Premier League stint and he has been full of praise for the Whites this season, including Dallas loving Ao Tanaka’s Leeds performances in the 2024/25 campaign.
Dallas has also praised and backed Daniel Farke ahead of their Premier League return, with the Northern Irishman also a key player the last time Leeds were promoted back to the top flight from the Championship.
Hardly any Leeds players remain from that 2020 promotion team. However, numerous former teammates of Dallas still play regularly, including the impressive Dan James. That said, the best Leeds performers in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa included many of the new signings.
Stuart Dallas praises Raphinha and makes Leeds United plea
One of Leeds’ new signings, and one of their best ever, was Raphinha. Luke Ayling has reacted to Raphinha’s new Barcelona contract but Dallas has also spoken about the magical Brazilian winger in recent days.
Speaking to the One Leeds Fan Channel, Dallas spoke highly of Raphinha: “I wish he had been in the Champions League final with a chance of winning it.”
Dallas is talking about football’s biggest and most prestigious individual award. He and Thierry Henry believe Raphinha deserves to win the Ballon d’Or for his quality this season.
He added: “I really think he could’ve been up there to win the Ballon d’Or because his numbers are incredible.
“We always knew that he was special. He used to do things in training and on the pitch where you’d think wow.
“But the one thing about Raphi is he worked hard. He was top of the running stats all the time. People used to look at me and say, ‘he runs loads’.
“But Rapha’s running stats were through the roof. His high intensity, his accels, deccels, sprints, everything. That, to me, is — well, I’m watching him in the Inter Milan game the other day and he’s still getting back there sprinting.
“It’s mad how he does it but that’s testament to him and his mentality, and his work rate, and everything. I think he’s only going to get better as well.
“He’s only going to get better. It’s great to see him doing so well but come back to Leeds if you want!”
Dallas has compared Omar Marmoush to Raphinha during his time at Leeds but the Brazilian has perhaps hit higher heights than even Leeds and his teammates imagined.
How likely is a Raphinha return to Leeds United one day?
FC Barcelona won the league recently and Raphinha repeated his Brentford crawl across the pitch in yet another iconic moment in his career. He has gone to another level with Barcelona since leaving West Yorkshire.
Raphinha was out of the ordinary with Leeds but Brazil’s star winger has credited Marcelo Bielsa for his rise to true stardom on the world stage and in the Champions League.
His new contract until 2028 makes it unlikely for him to ever play again, unless he is happy to return in a similar way to Pablo Hernandez. The Spaniard only joined Leeds aged 31, which just so happens to be when Raphinha’s contract ends.
Perhaps it is possible then if Leeds are an established Premier League side, but it won’t happen any time soon. The Whites are simply nowhere near the level to attract players of that calibre now, with Raphinha developing into one of the best players in the world.
It would be a full-circle moment and fantastic way to wind down his career, though, but the chances of it happening are incredibly unlikely for a number of years yet.
