Dan James is a professional footballer for Leeds United.
Renowned for his electric pace, Dan James is in his fourth season as a Leeds United player after his goals and assists fired them to the Championship title in 2025.
Now the winger is hoping to prove he still has the quality to replicate his form at Premier League level in the 2025-26 season.
Here’s what you need to know about him.
- Daniel Farke in profile – The Leeds United manager who secured Premier League football with 100 points
When Dan James signed for Manchester United instead of Leeds United
James nearly became a Leeds player much earlier than he did, back in January 2019.
Leeds had agreed a deal with Swansea City to sign James on deadline day, with the winger even going to Yorkshire to seal the transfer.
James famously posed with a Leeds shirt and gave interviews with the club’s media team, only for Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins to pull the plug at the last minute.
It turned out to be a great move for Swansea, who instead sold James the following summer for more money as he went to Manchester United for £15m.
James finally signed for Leeds in the summer of 2021, costing the club £25m.
Dan James position
James is a traditional winger who almost always plays on the right flank.
The Welshman is a bit of a throwback as he isn’t a winger who cuts inside, but rather one who bombs down the wing to deliver crosses.
How old is Dan James?
Born in Hull on November 10, 1997, James is 27 as of September 2025.
He is now in the peak years of his career, but still has plenty to give at Elland Road.
Dan James height
James stands at 5’7″ tall.
Though small in stature, it allows James to be lightning quick on the wing and he is one of the fastest players in the Premier League.
Dan James salary
James reportedly earns £75,000 a week at Leeds, which works out at £3.9m a year.
He is among Leeds’ best-paid players, with only four other members of the squad earning more than him.
James signed a new contract in 2025 to keep him at the club until 2029.
Dan James stats
James has been signed by five different clubs during his career, though he didn’t play a game during a loan spell at Shrewsbury Town.
The stint was supposed to last for the season, but it was terminated early after two months.
| Team | Games | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards |
| Swansea City | 39 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manchester United | 74 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| Leeds United | 128 | 29 | 22 | 15 | 1 |
| Fulham (loan) | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wales | 59 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 0 |
Dan James on Instagram and X/Twitter
James has a massive following on Instagram of over 1.5m and you can become one @daniel_james97.
He also has an X, formerly Twitter, account @Daniel_James97.
Praise for Dan James
James was one of Leeds’ most important players as they won the Championship title in 2025 and earned high praise from Daniel Farke throughout the season.
After James scored and played a role in two other goals in a win against Middlesbrough in December, Farke said: “Dan chips in at decisive moments.
“A 5-0 or 6-0 goal is nice, but not that important. He scores the first goal or the 2-1 – decisive goals.
“He is always open to develop and to improve. He always puts a shift in and is important for our pressing and our counter-attacks.
“What he has done for us as a club is excellent and he’s a top-class human being. We’re all happy that we have him.”
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