Luke Ayling

Luke David Ayling (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Leeds United. Although normally playing as a right-back, he can also function as a centre-back or as a defensive midfielder.

Luke Ayling
Ayling in 2014
Personal information
Full name Luke David Ayling[1]
Date of birth (1991-08-25) 25 August 1991[2]
Place of birth Lambeth, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[3]
Playing position(s) Defender
Club information
Current team
 Leeds United
Number 2
Youth career
2001–2009 Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Arsenal 0 (0)
2010 → Yeovil Town (loan) 4 (0)
2010–2014 Yeovil Town 162 (2)
2014–2016 Bristol City 80 (4)
2016– Leeds United 144 (6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10:24, 22 July 2020 (UTC)

Ayling began his career at Arsenal joining the club at the age of 10. He was part of Arsenal youth team's double-winning team of the 2008–09 season, before signing his first professional contract in July 2009. Ayling was loaned out to Yeovil Town in March 2010 and played four matches. At the end of the season he agreed a permanent deal with Yeovil. After four seasons with Yeovil, Ayling signed for Bristol City where he played until 2016 when he signed a deal with Leeds United.

Career

Arsenal

Ayling was born in Lambeth, London.[2] He joined Arsenal at the age of 10, despite being a Chelsea fan,[4] progressing through the Arsenal youth teams, playing alongside Jack Wilshere and Kyle Bartley,[5] before signing scholarship forms with the club in the summer of 2007.[6] Ayling featured in the Reserves whilst he was still a schoolboy, and was an integral part of Arsenal youth team's Premier Academy League and FA Youth Cup double-winning team of the 2008–09 season, forming a crucial defensive partnership with Kyle Bartley.[7] In June 2009, Ayling signed his first professional contract with Arsenal.[6][8]

Ayling's only call into the first-team squad came during the 2009–10 season. Ayling was an unused substitute for a dead rubber 1–0 UEFA Champions League group stage defeat to Greek team Olympiacos on 9 December 2009.[9] Ayling departed the club in June 2010 after his contract expired.[10]

Yeovil Town

In March 2010, Ayling joined League One club Yeovil Town on loan for an initial month,[11] and on 2 April 2010, made his professional debut as a second-half substitute in a 0–0 draw away at Southend United.[12] Ayling's loan was extended until the end of the season,[13] Ayling played four matches in total, including his first league start in the final match of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion, on 8 May 2010.[14]

On 30 June 2010, Ayling agreed a permanent contract with Yeovil.[10][15] He made his debut in a 2–1 victory over Leyton Orient.[16] Ayling made forty appearances in his first full season with Yeovil but had discipline issues receiving thirteen yellow and two red cards.[17] On 19 May 2013, Ayling played in the 2013 League One play-off Final at Wembley Stadium as Yeovil beat Brentford 2–1 to earn promotion to the Championship.[18]

After relegation from the Championship during the 2013–14 season with Yeovil Town, his contract expired at the end of the season in June 2014.[19] After rejecting the offer of a new contract at Yeovil, he left the club.[20]

Bristol City

Following his departure from Yeovil Town, Ayling signed for their fellow Leagea club Bristol City on 8 July 2014 for an undisclosed compensation fee, signing a three-year deal.[21] Ayling made his debut for Bristol City, on 9 August 2014, in their opening day victory over Sheffield United.[22]

During the 2014–15 season, Ayling won the Football League Trophy, with Bristol beating Walsall 2–0 at Wembley Stadium on 22 March 2015.[23] On 18 April 2015, Ayling impressed for Bristol City playing 58 matches that season in all competitions as they were crowned League One champions following a 0–0 draw at home to Coventry City and earned promotion to the Championship.[24] Playing 33 times either playing right-back or centre-back during the 2015–16 season in the Championship, Ayling's form at the back helped Bristol City retain their Championship status.[25]

Leeds United

On 11 August 2016, Ayling signed for Championship club Leeds United for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract.[26] Ayling made his debut for Leeds in a 2–1 loss to Birmingham City on 13 August 2016.[27] With first-choice right-back Gaetano Berardi out injured, Ayling started the season as the club's first-choice right-back, his impressive form also kept Berardi out the team despite Berardi's return from injury in October.[28] On 7 November, Ayling was named in the English Football League Team of the Week after his impressive performance in Leeds' 3–2 victory against Norwich City.[29][30]

On 9 August 2017, he captained Leeds for the first time when he was named as captain for the 4–1 win against Port Vale in the League Cup. He was appointed Vice Captain for the 2017–18 season.[31]

On 19 October 2017, Ayling signed a new four-year contract, with the long-term deal keeping him at Leeds until the end of the 2020–21 season.[32]

An ever present, after being injured after a tackle by former Leeds teammate Liam Bridcutt on 1 January 2018 in Leeds 0–0 draw against Nottingham Forest.[33] The injury was ruled as a season ending ankle ligament injury that required surgery and initially ruled him out for the remainder of the 2017–18 season.[34] However, on 5 May 2018, Ayling was able to return for the final game of the season in Leeds' 2–0 victory against Queens Park Rangers, starting the match after returning to training two weeks before the season had finished.[35]

On 18 August 2018, Ayling scored his first competitive goal for Leeds against Rotherham United.[36] On 6 October 2018, Ayling was red carded in a controversial performance from the referee in Leeds' 1–1 draw against Brentford.[37] After returning from suspension, Ayling picked up a serious knee injury against Nottingham Forest on 27 October which would rule Ayling out for several months.[38]

He returned from injury earlier than expected when he started for Leeds on 23 December 2018, when he started and captained the side in a 3–2 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park.[39] He continued to feature as a central member of the team, on the right side of defence, starting almost all games for the remainder of the regular season, and contributing a crucial second goal at home to Millwall on 30 March to level the game in a thriller that Leeds eventually won 3–2.[40]

During the 2018–19 Leeds United F.C. season, Ayling played 42 games scoring 2 goals in all competitions, after Leeds finished the regular season in third place after dropping out of the automatic promotion places with 3 games left after a defeat to 10 man Wigan Athletic on 19 April,[41] Leeds qualified for the playoffs, with Ayling starting for Leeds in the semi-final playoffs matches against sixth-placed Derby County, as Leeds were beaten on 3–4 aggregate over the two legs. Despite taking a 1–0 win at Pride Park, to bring into a 1-0 aggregate lead into the home leg at Elland Road, Leeds lost 2–4 in an encounter that saw both teams reduced to 10 men and Derby progress to the final against Aston Villa.[42]

After being injured towards the very start of 2019–20 pre-season training, Ayling would miss all the pre-season games and the start of the new season after undergoing ankle surgery.[43] On 8 August 2019, it was revealed that Leeds had rejected bids for Ayling during the 2019 transfer window in order to keep him at the club.[44]

He signed a new four-year contract with the club in October 2019.[45] His first goal of the 2019–20 season came on 29 December 2019, in a 4–5 victory in a dramatic win against Birmingham City, with Ayling scoring a long range volley.[46] On 30 December 2019, Ayling was chosen as the right-back for the 'Football League Team of the decade by The Guardian'.[47]

On 8 January 2020, after impressive performances during the month of December, Ayling won the EFL Championship PFA Player of the Month award for December 2019, beating out former United player Tom Lees as well as Jed Wallace, Lee Tomlin, Sam Johnstone and Andre Ayew.[48] Ayling's goalscoring form continued into February and March, where he scored the solitary goal against Bristol City on 15 February, in a crucial home win that kept Leeds in second place behind West Brom, bucking the trend of Leeds' three prior winless results,[49] and his "stunning volley"[50] in Leeds' 2–0 defeat of Huddersfield on 7 March that put the team back on top of the Championship.[51] His performances in February saw him awarded the EFL Championship Player of the Month title.[52]

After the English professional football season was paused in March 2020 due to Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football, after the season was resumed during June, Ayling earned promotion to the Premier League and also become the EFL Championship Champions for the 2019-20 season in July after the successful resumption of the season.[53]

Ayling won Leeds' goal of the season award for his volley against Huddersfield Town at the clubs end of season awards on 24 July 2020.[54] On 7 August, he was named in The Guardian's EFL Championship team of the season for 2019-20.[55]

Style of play

Ayling plays as a right-back but can also play as a centre-back or as a defensive midfielder. Former Guardian sports writer Steve Claridge lauded Ayling for his "reading of the game, communications skills, organisation skills, aerial prowess, two footedness and use of the ball" in his scouting reports column.[56] Ayling was praised for his defensive work which gave Leeds United a solid start to the 2017–18 season.[57]

Trivia

In August 2019, Ayling was one of the main stars of the Leeds United documentary Take Us Home on Amazon Prime, featuring in several episodes. The documentary was narrated by Academy Award winning actor and Leeds fan Russell Crowe.[58][59][60][61]

Career statistics
As of match played 22 July 2020.
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Arsenal 2009–10[62] Premier League 0000000000
Yeovil Town (loan) 2009–10[62] League One 40———40
Yeovil Town 2010–11[17] League One 37010101[lower-alpha 1]0400
2011–12[63] League One 440301000480
2012–13[64] League One 39000206[lower-alpha 2]0470
2013–14[65] Championship 4222021—463
Total 16626061701853
Bristol City 2014–15[66] League One 46450106[lower-alpha 1]0584
2015–16[67] Championship 3302010—360
2016–17[68] Championship 10—00—10
Total 804702060954
Leeds United 2016–17[68] Championship 4200010—430
2017–18[69] Championship 2700040—310
2018–19[70] Championship 38210102[lower-alpha 3]0422
2019–20[71] Championship 3741000—384
Total 14462060201546
Career total 3901215014115043413
  1. Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
  2. Three appearances in Football League Trophy, three in League One play-offs
  3. Two appearances in Championship play-offs

Honours

Arsenal

Yeovil Town

Bristol City

Leeds United

Individual

  • EFL Championship PFA Player of the Month: December 2019[74] and February 2020.[52]
  • Leeds United Goal of the 2019-20 Season.[75]

References
  1. "Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2018: Leeds United" (PDF). English Football League. p. 21. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  2. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
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  5. "Jack Wilshere will be back terrorising opponents again soon – I can't wait". Metro. London. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
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