Former Leeds United captain Stephen Warnock has hailed Barry Douglas in the Yorkshire Evening Post as “brilliant” and potentially the buy of the season.
United signed the left-back from Wolves last Saturday as part of a whirlwind of arrivals at Elland Road, in which £7million striker Patrick Bamford and Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison also joined in the space of four days.
The Championship giants have brought in five new players this summer and Warnock is convinced that Douglas is the deal that really stands out.
“I think he’s brilliant,” Warnock told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “I can’t believe they have got him if I’m being honest. Hopefully it will be one of the buys of the season at that price. He was up there with the most chances created and assists last season for Wolves and for Wolves to pass him over for £3m is just incredible.
“It’s a great buy because the left-sided players these days are very difficult to find, especially of the quality of him. I am sure he will be a fans’ favourite straight away with the way he plays because he is an exciting talent.”
OPINION
As a former left-back himself, Warnock certainly knows what it takes to thrive in the position in which he spent two years in the Leeds side after previous spells at the likes of Liverpool. Is Douglas the real deal? At Championship level, definitely. Wolves clearly don’t think he would have been a key man for them in the Premier League, but the 28-year-old’s credentials in the second tier are bona fide. He was outstanding for the Midlands club last season, proving a huge attacking threat on the left flank as he scored five goals and supplied a remarkable 14 assists from 39 league fixtures. Able to play in left midfield, Douglas will immediately solve a problem position for Leeds last season, where the limited Gaetano Berardi and the woeful Laurens De Bock struggled to mount attacks from the left. Douglas is almost two signings in one and Warnock is certainly right in saying Leeds have pulled off a major coup.