Mateusz Klich, Kalvin Phillips & Luke Ayling salute Leeds United title-winner as he retires | OneFootball

Barry Douglas, a key figure in Marcelo Bielsa’s promotion-winning Leeds United squad, has retired from playing, prompting tributes from former teammates.

The Scotland international said in an Instagram post that it was time to step away, reflecting with pride on almost 500 matches and multiple titles, thanking the clubs he represented and highlighting the honour of playing for his country.

Douglas joined Leeds from Wolves in the summer of 2018 for around £three million, the first permanent signing of Bielsa’s reign. He made 44 appearances across two Championship seasons and contributed to the 2019/20 promotion.

He never featured in the Premier League for Leeds, spending 2020/21 on loan at Blackburn Rovers before departing a year later at the end of his contract. A 17-year career also took in Lech Poznan, Dundee United and Konyaspor.

In total, Douglas played 455 games in all competitions for seven clubs across four countries. His honours include Championship titles with Leeds and Wolves, two Ekstraklasa titles with Lech Poznan and domestic cups in Poland and Türkiye.

Messages of congratulations arrived from former Leeds teammates, including Mateusz Klich, Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling, Gaetano Berardi, Leif Davis and Tyler Roberts.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk