Leeds United defender puts Whites duo in same breath as Wolves star Ruben Neves

BARRY Douglas says Leeds United team-mates Kalvin Phillips and Ben White are destined for the top and comparable to record-breaking Wolves star Ruben Neves.
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Left back Douglas spent the 2017-18 campaign playing alongside Portugal international Neves at former side Wolves as the Molineux outfit stormed to the Championship title.

Neves had been signed from Porto in July 2017 for a club record £16m and the playmaker then signed a new five year-deal at Wolves in July 2018 after helping them to promotion.

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The midfielder then made 34 Premier League starts the following season as part of 47 appearances for club and country and the current break in play comes with 23-year-old Neves having made another 43 appearances this season in all competitions for Wolves who sit sixth in the Premier League.

CLASS ACT: Ruben Neves celebrates his equalising goal for Wolves during August's 1-1 draw against Premier League visitors Manchester United. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.CLASS ACT: Ruben Neves celebrates his equalising goal for Wolves during August's 1-1 draw against Premier League visitors Manchester United. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.
CLASS ACT: Ruben Neves celebrates his equalising goal for Wolves during August's 1-1 draw against Premier League visitors Manchester United. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.

Douglas, though, says Leeds also have two players in particular who are out of the top drawer in midfielder Phillips and Brighton loanee centre-back White who have both already been tipped for imminent England calls.

White, 22, has played every single minute of every league game for Championship front runners Leeds so far this term while 24-year-old Phillips attracted bids from clubs in the Premier League last summer with United rebuffing multiple offers in excess of £20m for the midfielder's services.

Phillips then signed a new five-year deal with Leeds in September and the midfielder was widely expected to be handed his first England call for March's friendlies against Denmark and Italy until the games were cancelled due to the global outbreak of coronavirus.

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Speaking as part of Leeds United's latest 'Ask' series in association with Deliveroo, Douglas was asked about the best players he has played with and said: "There's been so many players, so different attributes but I think Ruben Neves has got to be up there as one of them.

HIGH PRAISE: For Leeds United duo Kalvin Phillips, left, and Ben White. Photo by Bruce Rollinson.HIGH PRAISE: For Leeds United duo Kalvin Phillips, left, and Ben White. Photo by Bruce Rollinson.
HIGH PRAISE: For Leeds United duo Kalvin Phillips, left, and Ben White. Photo by Bruce Rollinson.

"He just sees the game differently and makes it look so easy and effortless and it will be no surprise if we see him at one of the top, top teams.

"You could say the same with Kalv and Ben, both have unbelievable potential and are great players."

Douglas - who began his youth career at Livingston and has also played for Queen's Park, Dundee United, Lech Poznan and Konyaspor - also highlighted the lesser advertised talents of former Scotland under-21 attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld who is now 24 years old and playing for Portuguese top flight side Farense.

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Douglas added: "I think one that maybe slipped under the radar is a young boy who I used to play with at Dundee United - Ryan Gauld.

"He went on to sign for Sporting Lisbon but I remember him coming up to the first team, he must have been 15 or 16 and just his finesse and the way he moved with the ball, he made it effortless

"He would beat players just by his first touch and he was definitely one that a lot of people were envious of just the way he made football look so easy."

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