Leeds United title-winner retires as Mateusz Klich, Kalvin Phillips and Luke Ayling respond | OneFootball

Barry Douglas, a Championship title-winner under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United, has retired from playing, prompting tributes from team-mates of the 2019/20 promotion season.

The player said in a post that it was time to step away, reflecting that he never imagined a career approaching 500 games, winning titles in different countries, and thanking every club for the chance to wear their badge. He added that representing Scotland was a source of immense pride.

Douglas joined Leeds from Wolves in summer 2018 for around £3 million, the first permanent signing of the Bielsa era. The left-back made 44 appearances across two Championship campaigns as United earned promotion, then spent 2020/21 on loan at Blackburn Rovers before departing when his contract expired a year later.

Across a 17-year career he featured for Lech Poznan, Dundee United and Konyaspor among others, totalling 455 club appearances in four countries. His honours include Championship titles with Leeds and Wolves, two Polish Ekstraklasa crowns with Lech Poznan and domestic cups in Poland and Türkiye.

Messages of support arrived from former Leeds colleagues including Mateusz Klich, Patrick Bamford, Kalvin Phillips, Luke Ayling, Gaetano Berardi, Leif Davis and Tyler Roberts, who praised his career and wished him well for the future.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk