Stuart Dallas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stuart Dallas

Dallas with Leeds United in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Stuart Dallas
Date of birth	(1991-04-19) 19 April 1991 (age 34)
Place of birth	Cookstown, Northern Ireland
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s)	Winger, midfielder, full-back
Youth career
	Cookstown Youth
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2010	Coagh United
2010–2012	Crusaders	67	(24)
2012–2015	Brentford	63	(8)
2013	→ Northampton Town (loan)	12	(3)
2015–2024	Leeds United	248	(25)
Total		390	(60)
International career
2010	Northern Ireland Junior	3	(1)
2010	Northern Ireland U23	1	(0)
2011–2012	Northern Ireland U21	2	(0)
2011–2022	Northern Ireland	62	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stuart Dallas (born 19 April 1991) is a former professional footballer from Northern Ireland. He played as a midfielder or full-back. Early in his career, Dallas also played as a winger. Later, he became known as a utility player, meaning he could play in many different positions.

He was a very important part of the Leeds United team. Under manager Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds won the 2019–20 EFL Championship and were promoted to the Premier League. Dallas also played regularly for the Northern Ireland national team. He played in over 50 games for his country, including at UEFA Euro 2016.

Stuart Dallas stopped playing football on 10 April 2024. This was after a two-year struggle with a serious injury. The Northern Ireland manager, Michael O'Neill, said that Dallas had "maximized everything from his career."

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out: Coagh United and Crusaders

Stuart Dallas was born in Cookstown, Northern Ireland. He went to Cookstown Primary School and Cookstown High School. He started his football journey at Coagh United in 2007. At that time, he also worked as a joiner.

In January 2010, Dallas played against Crusaders in a cup match. His performance impressed the Crusaders manager, Stephen Baxter. Dallas then joined Crusaders in the summer of 2010. He trained once a week and earned £70 a week.

He played his first game for Crusaders on 7 August 2010. He scored his first goals on 21 August against Coleraine. For the 2010–11 season, he was named both the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. He played 38 games and scored 16 goals that season.

In the 2011–12 season, Dallas played against Premier League team Fulham in the Europa League. His last goal for Crusaders was the winning goal against Portadown in January 2012. He left Crusaders in the summer of 2012. He had played 85 games and scored 26 goals for them.

Time at Brentford

On 12 April 2012, Stuart Dallas signed a deal to join League One team Brentford. He made his first professional appearance for Brentford on 9 October in a cup game. His league debut was four days later. He played 11 games in the 2012–13 season.

Loan to Northampton Town

After playing three cup games for Brentford in the 2013–14 season, Dallas joined League Two side Northampton Town on loan. This was on 5 October 2013. He scored in his first game for Northampton, helping them win 2–0. He scored three goals in 12 games for Northampton. He said his loan spell was a "good experience."

Returning to Brentford

Dallas signed a new two-year contract with Brentford in November. He started playing more often for Brentford in April. He scored his first goal for Brentford on 26 April. He scored again in the next game, helping Brentford win 2–0. That season, Brentford earned promotion to the Championship. Dallas played 21 games and scored two goals.

Dallas playing for Brentford in December 2014

In June 2014, Dallas signed another new contract with Brentford. He scored two goals in his second game of the 2014–15 season. This was in a League Cup match that ended 6–6 after extra time. He scored his first league goal of the season on 19 August 2014.

He got a leg injury in September 2014 but returned to play in November. He scored a dramatic winning goal in the 93rd minute against Derby County. Dallas also played as a right-back and left-back when other players were injured. He scored the only goal against Rotherham United in January 2015. He scored twice against Fulham on 3 April. One of these goals won the club's Goal of the Season award. Dallas played 44 games and scored eight goals that season. In July 2015, Brentford accepted an offer for Dallas from Leeds United.

Joining Leeds United

In August 2015, Dallas joined Leeds United on a three-year deal. He made his debut for Leeds on the first day of the season. He scored his first goal for the club on 17 December 2015. Dallas scored two goals in a 2–1 win against Birmingham City on 12 April 2016. He played 49 games that season, more than any other player. He also won the Leeds United Players' Player Of The Year award.

Continued Success at Leeds

Dallas missed some pre-season training for the 2016–17 season because he was playing for Northern Ireland in Euro 2016. He got a calf injury in October 2016 but returned in November. He scored his first goal of the season in an FA Cup win on 9 January 2017. He scored three goals in 35 games that season. In August 2017, Dallas signed a new three-year contract with Leeds. He played as a right-back during the 2017–18 season due to other players being injured. He scored two goals in 32 games.

During the 2018–19 season, Dallas played in many different positions. He had a long run as a right-back. He scored his first goal of the season on 27 November. However, he broke his foot on 1 December and was out for several weeks. After returning, he got another injury in January 2019. Leeds finished third in the league and went into the play-offs. Dallas scored two goals in the play-off semi-final against Derby County. Leeds lost the game, and Derby went to the final. Dallas played 29 games and scored four goals that season.

In June 2019, Dallas chose to start pre-season training early to fight for his place in the team. He scored his first goal of the 2019–20 season on 24 August. In September 2019, he signed a new four-year contract. Dallas became one of the first players chosen for the team. He played in many positions, including left-back, right-back, and central midfield. The football season was paused in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When it restarted, Dallas helped Leeds win the Championship and get promoted to the Premier League. He scored five goals in 46 games and won Leeds' Players' Player of the Season award.

Premier League Years and Injury

Dallas made his Premier League debut on 12 September 2020 against Liverpool. He scored his first Premier League goal on 2 November 2020. On 10 April 2021, he scored both goals as Leeds won 2–1 against Manchester City. This was a great performance, especially as Leeds played with ten players for half the game. His manager praised his "generosity" and how he showed new parts of his game. Dallas scored eight goals in 38 games that season. He won Leeds' Player of the Season, Players' Player of the Season, and Goal of the Season awards. In July 2021, he signed another three-year contract.

Dallas scored his only goal of the 2021–22 season on 2 January 2022. On 30 April 2022, Dallas suffered a very serious knee injury. This happened in a clash with Manchester City's Jack Grealish. He had surgery and was out for the entire 2022–23 campaign. Leeds was relegated to the Championship that season.

Even though he returned to training in September 2023, Dallas missed the whole 2023–24 campaign. On 10 April 2024, Dallas announced he was retiring from professional football. He said his knee had "irreparable damage." He played over 400 games for his clubs and country during his 17-year career.

International Career

Dallas playing for Northern Ireland in 2019

Because of his good form for Crusaders, Dallas was called up to the Northern Ireland U23 squad in October 2010. He played the full game in a 2–0 loss to Portugal U23. At the end of the 2010–11 season, Dallas was called up to the main Northern Ireland squad. He made his debut against Wales in Dublin on 27 May 2011.

In September 2011, Dallas was called into the Under-21 team. He played 65 minutes in a match against Denmark.

After playing well for Brentford in 2015, Dallas was called up for matches against Scotland and Finland. He earned his first full international cap in nearly four years against Scotland on 25 March. On 31 May 2015, Dallas scored his first international goal in a 1–1 draw with Qatar.

On 8 October 2015, Northern Ireland qualified for UEFA Euro 2016 in France. This was the first time in 30 years they had qualified for a major tournament. Dallas played a key role in helping them qualify. He was part of the final squad for Euro 2016. He came on as a substitute in Northern Ireland's first game against Poland. On 16 June, he started in their 2–0 win over Ukraine. His shot led to Northern Ireland's second goal.

On 10 June 2017, Dallas scored the winning goal for Northern Ireland in a 1–0 win against Azerbaijan. This was a World Cup qualifying game. Dallas played in eight World Cup qualifying games. Northern Ireland finished second in their group. They then played against Switzerland but lost and did not qualify for the World Cup.

Dallas played in nine Euro 2020 qualifying games. Northern Ireland did not qualify for that tournament either, losing to Slovakia.

Playing Style

Stuart Dallas was known for being very versatile. This means he could play in many different positions on the football field. He could play as a full-back or winger on both the left and right sides. He could also play as a central midfielder. There was even one match where he played in five different positions!

Former Leeds manager David O'Leary said that Dallas's ability to play in so many positions was a "big thing." He added that Dallas never let the team down, no matter where he played. He was often called a utility player. Stephen Baxter, his manager at Crusaders, said Dallas could play "left-wing, right-wing, centre-forward or the number 10." He also mentioned Dallas's "great athleticism" and "brain" for the game.

Personal Life

Stuart Dallas is the younger brother of Marcus Dallas, who also played football. In June 2016, Stuart Dallas married his long-term partner, Juneve Lamont. They had been together since they were 16 years old and went to Cookstown High School together. Stuart and Juneve have three children.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dallas goal.

List of international goals scored by Stuart Dallas

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	31 May 2015	Gresty Road, Crewe, England	4	Qatar	1–0	1–1	Friendly
2	10 June 2017	Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	22	Azerbaijan	1–0	1–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	11 September 2018	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	32	Israel	2–0	3–0	Friendly

Honours and Awards

Crusaders

• Irish League Cup: 2011–12
• Setanta Sports Cup: 2012

Leeds United

• EFL Championship: 2019–20

Individual Awards

• Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Year: 2010–11
• Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Young Player of the Year: 2010–11
• Leeds United Player of the Season: 2020–21
• Leeds United Players' Player of the Season: 2015–16, 2019–20, 2020–21
• Leeds United Goal of the Season: 2020–21

See also

In Spanish: Stuart Dallas para niños