Wolves should be the envy of Leeds United for the form they lured out of defender | OneFootball

Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side were fantastic as they won the Championship title in the 2017/18 campaign.

Many view that Wolves outfit as one of the best the second tier has ever seen, and it’s easy to see why, with Willy Boly, Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota among those who starred.

However, another key component to that team was Barry Douglas.

Barry Douglas excels at Wolves

The Scotsman was brought from Konyaspor for a bargain fee, and he occupied the left wing-back role in Santo’s 3-4-3 system, and he excelled there.

Douglas was a constant threat down the flank and the quality of his left-foot was outstanding that season, as he scored five goals and registered 14 assists. That’s an incredible return for a wing-back and highlights just how important the player was at Molineux.

Therefore, it was a huge shock when Wolves decided to let Douglas go following their promotion.

It seemed an extremely harsh decision to sell the popular ex-Dundee United man, but, in hindsight, it was a smart call by Santo, as Spanish international Jonny Otto arrived and helped Wolves to Europe.

Barry Douglas struggles to replicate Wolves form at Leeds

Nevertheless, all connected to Wolves wished Douglas well as he made the switch to Leeds, and for the reported £3m fee it seemed like a real coup for the Whites.

Yet, Douglas struggled to rediscover his best form in Yorkshire.

The 2018/19 season was Marcelo Bielsa’s first at Leeds, with Douglas operating as a more natural left-back, as opposed to a wing-back, although the Argentinian obviously gave him license to get forward.

Bielsa has specific demands from his players, and it’s fair to say his style is much more chaotic than Santo, which perhaps didn’t suit Douglas.

That’s not to say his time with Leeds was a disaster, as Douglas featured in 27 games as Bielsa’s side finished third in the Championship, so he contributed to what was a good side.

But, zero goals and five assists prove that he was no longer the brilliant attacking threat he was in the Black Country.

Unfortunately, the campaign ended in heartbreak, as Derby beat Leeds over two legs, but they would be celebrating in 12 months' time as promotion was secured.

This time around, Douglas managed just 15 appearances, as his influence on the team was reduced, so another summer switch was sorted, meaning he would once again not get to taste the Premier League with a side he had helped go up.

In this situation, an exit was no longer a surprise, as it was clear that Bielsa targeted something different at left-back, and Douglas was not going to get the minutes he would’ve wanted.

Douglas’ two-year spell with Leeds ended when he joined Blackburn on loan, before he departed permanently 12 months later when his deal expired.

Many Leeds fans will appreciate all the squad that helped them end their long wait outside the top-flight, but it’s fair to say that Douglas couldn’t hit the heights he had done with Wolves, which was a shame for both the club and the player.