Leeds United: Graham Smyth reveals what Stuart Dallas said to him after official announcement
Graham Smyth has revealed what Stuart Dallas said to him after the Leeds United hero announced he would be retiring from football at the end of the season.
The 33-year-old has been forced to retire after a two-year spell on the sidelines, having suffered a devastating knee injury against Manchester City in April 2022.
After 266 appearances for the Whites since arriving at Elland Road in 2015, Dallas shared his decision via the club’s official website on Wednesday 10 April.
Speaking via the Inside Elland Road podcast on Thursday (18 April), Smyth said: “They put together the announcement, then we went up to Thorp Arch to interview him. You could sense how emotional the day had been. We’d been told that his meeting with the team was really hard.
“We spoke to him about that and he told us he’d been dreading it. When he sat down, he said – ‘go easy on me, boys, I’m a bit fragile’. I’ve never ever seen Stuart Dallas in that emotional state.”
Stuart Dallas ends his career as a Leeds United legend
While the announcement was greeted by so much disappointment, the fans showed an incredible amount of love for the Leeds hero.
Dallas was part of the squad that claimed promotion to the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, and will certainly be remembered for his famous match-winning goal against Man City at the Etihad Stadium.
Fans were given an opportunity to thank the 33-year-old for his many years at the club, having been presented to the Elland Road crowd at half-time during the Blackburn Rovers game on Saturday 13 April.
Though that one moment will never be enough to show him the appreciation he deserves, Dallas will forever be welcomed back to Elland Road with open arms, and will hopefully be able to watch his beloved Leeds play in the Premier League next season.
His wisdom and experience will still have been an incredible help this season, with a young Leeds squad hoping to bounce straight back up to the Premier League after last campaign’s relegation.
And by the sounds of it, Dallas could be sticking around at Elland Road for years to come, with a non-playing role being suggested by some.
In other Leeds United news, a teenage sensation is now set to snub Manchester United in order to move to Elland Road.
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