Noel Whelan lauds Stuart Dallas after Leeds win

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Leeds United picked up only their second Championship win of the calendar year on Friday.

Noel Whelan told BBC Radio Leeds in the wake of Leeds’ win over Bolton Wanderers that he thought that Stuart Dallas was excellent in the victory, and insisted that he loved the way that the winger went about his job.

Paul Heckingbottom oversaw only his second victory as Whites boss as goals from Caleb Ekuban and Pablo Hernandez helped the home side on their way to a 2-1 victory against the Trotters at Elland Road.

It was another game where Heckingbottom sprung a couple of surprises with his team selection – though there was no Jack Clarke in the squad – with two strikers picked, and Dallas starting at right-back with Gaetano Berardi on the left. But the changes seem to pay off, and after the game, Whelan was full of praise for the Northern Ireland international’s performance.

“Excellent,” he told BBC Radio Leeds when asked about Dallas’ performance.

“I thought he was aggressive, I thought he was on the front foot. I thought he defended well and covered round, and we know that we can trust him, and that’s the thing, he always put in 100 per cent, but I love the way that he went about his job today.”

It is not the first time that Dallas has played on the right-hand side of the defence since Heckingbottom took charge, with the 26-year-old also being deployed there when the Whites travelled to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United.

He performed well on that day also, and provided yet another indication that he is Leeds’ ultimate utility man on Friday as he certainly did not look out of place in the role.

That should certainly be a boost for Heckingbottom while Luke Ayling remains out. And it will also be a huge boost for Dallas who seemed to be down the pecking order in every position during Thomas Christiansen’s tenure.