It has been three years since Barry Douglas left Leeds United to return to Polish side Lech Poznan but now the left-back finds himself without a club, and is still a free agent.
The 35-year-old defender was one of Marcelo Bielsa’s first signings back in 2018. The Scotland left-back moved to Elland Road from Wolves despite only just gaining promotion with Wolves the season, prior.
He made an instant impact in a position that has been a problem for Leeds over the years, with an assist on debut. In Bielsa’s first game, a game which filled Leeds fans with hope, Leeds cruised past Stoke, 3-1.
After goals from Mateusz Klich and Samu Saiz, Douglas’ superb corner was headed home by captain Liam Cooper. Three years on and all four have left Elland Road, Douglas departing in the summer of 2021.
Barry Douglas is a free agent and keen to join a new club
Having spent three years on the books at Leeds, a spell largely fraught with injury and also including a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers, Douglas returned to Polish outfit Lech Poznan where he previously played.
He lasted two and a half years in Poland the first time round before moving to Turkish side Konyaspor. After another three years in Poland, Douglas is without a club having left Lech Poznan in the summer.
Douglas failed to find a new home in the summer following the end of his contract and on Instagram, he made a joke at his own expense that he would love to be playing football again while out for lunch.
He said: “Feel like I’m a professional coffee drinker and lunch taster nowadays. P.S., I still want to play football if anyone is interested.”
Barry Douglas’ stats during three-year stint on Leeds books
Douglas’ entire stint at Leeds came during Bielsa’s four-year stay at Elland Road. A player that had a gorgeous left foot but could not remain fit and eventually, he was replaced by the in-form Junior Firpo.
Douglas’ three years at Leeds in numbers:
| Season | Club | Games | Wins | Goals | Assists | Clean Sheets |
| 2018-19 | Leeds | 26 (21 starts) | 15 | 0 | 5 | 11 |
| 2019-20 | Leeds | 17 (8 starts) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2020-21 | Leeds | 1 (1 start) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | Blackburn | 31 (29 starts) | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
Now at 35, Douglas remains without a club but is looking for a new home. Whether he can find one is unclear but perhaps there will be some news down the line as the season grows older and injuries rise.
Meanwhile, his replacement at Leeds in the form of Firpo is finally thriving and for the first season in a long time, Leeds have a left-back that is actually playing well and contributing at both ends of the pitch.
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