Leeds United: Reading FC won't forget Stuart Dallas career for all the wrong reasons - View | OneFootball

Stuart Dallas was recently forced to retire from professional football after struggling to overcome a knee injury he sustained over two years ago against Manchester City.

However, while many Leeds fans will be mourning the retirement of one of their longest serving players, Reading fans must be overjoyed that they won't have to face the versatile midfielder again.

This will be because in ten games against the Royals, Dallas played a part in seven wins and two draws.

The Northern-Irishman took to social media last week to announce his retirement from all professional football. This follows a two-year absence from the game after injuring his knee in a clash with Manchester City's Jack Grealish in April 2022.

This isn't to say he hasn't played his part at the club in the previous couple of seasons. In a statement on Leeds United's website, the club said, "Despite not featuring during the current season under Daniel Farke, Dallas has remained a key person behind the scenes, helping with the success of the current group."

Stuart Dallas' record versus Reading

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Dallas had a fantastic record against Reading, and there is one particular match that Reading fans will often look back on and rue the fact that Dallas was playing that day.

In late November 2018, Leeds played Reading at Elland Road.

It was a tight affair with both sides wanting all three points for their own respective fights. Reading were battling against relegation and Leeds were vying for the automatic promotion spots at the top of the Championship.

Dallas scored the only goal of the game in the second half after Leeds had been frustrated by a defensive Royals setup. Having played at right fullback for the entire game, it was perhaps a surprise to many on and off the pitch when he popped up to tuck home a rebounded Kemar Roofe header and win the game 1-0.

In most of Dallas' other wins over the Berkshire club, he featured for 90 minutes and would prove to be a tireless thorn in Reading's side, as was his versatile nature on the football pitch.

Other notable performances against the Royals include a fantastic 34-minute salvo later on in that same season where he helped close out a 3-0 win and a clean sheet playing at left-back in 2020.

Dallas' legacy at Leeds

Most football fans will always feel sad when a player is forced to retire through injury, as it isn't a natural retirement and is rather more enforced.

So despite their horrendous run against him, both Reading and their fans may feel that such a legend of the EFL should have been allowed to dictate his own retirement.

However, there is an extra tinge of disappointment with Dallas' retirement, because, as much as he will remain a club legend, no fans were able to witness his finest moments in the top flight of English football due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with supporters at Elland Road only witnessing Dallas in a few games once restrictions were lifted in 2022.

While in the top flight, Dallas netted nine goals across 72 appearances, and played huge roles both in Leeds' first season back in the Premier League since, and their great escape season in 2021/22.

His most well-known goal came in Leeds' shock late win at Manchester City against the aforementioned Citizens, as the Yorkshire side triumphed 2-1.

Nevertheless, with the above appearances in mind, Dallas will forever be a dear, treasured player for Leeds and for any Northern Ireland fans.

However, mention his name to a Reading fan and instead of plaudits about his long career in the EFL, you may just be met with a roll of the eyes and a typical 'we never did well against him' comment.