Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is aiming to lead his team to safety in the Premier League on the other side of the final international break of the season.
The Whites have seven games left in the top flight and are four points behind West Ham United, who are currently in the final relegation zone.
Marcelo Bielsa led the club to a top-half finish in the 2020/21 Premier League after winning the Second Division title last season, with Raphinha, Patrick Bamford and Kalvin Phillips leading the way.
One of the most underrated stars on that team, largely due to the high profile of stars like Raphinha, was versatile midfielder Stuart Dallas.
The Northern Ireland international scored eight goals in 38 Premier League appearances, playing at right-back, left-back, central midfield, attacking midfield and right midfield.
Leeds have discovered their next Stuart Dallas
Falke has now discovered his Dallas version in James Justin, the versatile full-back who was signed from Leicester City for £10m in last summer’s transfer window.
The former England international has been the German head coach’s Swiss knife throughout the Premier League season, playing in a variety of roles and formations.
Justin started 14 of the division’s 22 games this season and started as a backup option, recording one goal and one assist in that time.
The 28-year-old defender has played at right-back, centre-back, left-back, left-midfield and right-midfield for Leeds this season, meaning he has played in as many positions (five) as Bielsa did for Dallas in 2020-21.
james justin this season | |
|---|---|
position | game |
R.B. | 10 |
C.B. | 6 |
R.M. | 4 |
LM | 3 |
lb | 2 |
Justin has been a phenomenal addition to the team, becoming the club’s new Dallas, with the quality and versatility he brings to the Premier League pitch.
But there was once a Leeds star in Falke who was like another version of the Northern Ireland talent. And since then he has been as valuable a player as any player at Elland Road.
Former Elland Road star worth more than any Leeds player
According to Transfermarkt, Anton Stach and Ethan Ampadu are the two most valuable players in the current Leeds squad, with a market value of around £22m, while Justin is valued at £10m.
In the summer of 2024, the Whites sold versatile star Archie Gray to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, but shortly thereafter missed out on promotion to the top flight in the play-offs, losing in the final to Southampton at Wembley.
He was one of a number of players who chose to leave Elland Road after that disappointment, alongside Georginio Rutter, Glen Kamara and Crisencio Somerville.
During one full season of first-team football at Elland Road in 2023-24, Gray played as right-back, defensive midfielder, central midfielder and attacking midfielder.
Since signing with Spurs, Gray has played as right-back, centre-back, left-back, defensive midfielder, central midfielder and right midfielder, proving his versatility in both the Championship and Premier League.
Archie Gray’s career | |
|---|---|
position | game |
R.B. | 41 |
CM | 39 |
DM | twenty four |
C.B. | 20 |
morning | 9 |
lb | 7 |
R.M. | 3 |
C.F. | 2 |
LM | 1 |
The talented 20-year-old had the versatility and quality to become the new Dallas club at Elland Road, but he only played one season in the first team before moving to North London in 2024.
Gray has made 78 first-team appearances for Tottenham, 26 more than he did for Leeds, and has scored two goals and provided two assists in 21 appearances in the Premier League this season.
At the time of his move to Spurs, Transfermarkt valued the England Under-21 international at around £16 million. Almost two years later, the versatile star is valued at around £30m by Transfermarkt, a rise in price of a whopping £14m over two seasons.
This also makes him worth at least £8m more than every player in Elland Road’s current squad, ahead of the likes of Stach and Ampadu, and speaks volumes about his development since joining Tottenham.
It’s a shame that Leeds didn’t beat Southampton in the play-off final in 2024. That’s because Leeds could have created the next version of Dallas in the Premier League with Gray instead of waiting for Justin to join.
Falke appears to have unearthed a Bamford-Eyling hybrid at Leeds.
Daniel Farke appears to have unearthed a Luke Ayling-Joe Rodon hybrid for Leeds United.
