Luke Ayling remains a Leeds United legend and iconic figure despite joining Middlesbrough over a year ago.
Few players epitomise hard work, determination, and consistency as much as Luke Ayling did in the majority of his seasons in West Yorkshire with Leeds United.
Having joined from Bristol City for a nominal fee, he quickly became a fan favourite and one of the first names on every team sheet. Not only that, but he regularly captained the side.
Despite being Liam Cooper’s vice-captain, Ayling took the armband on plenty of occasions in both the Premier League and Championship and remains a club icon despite his departure last year.
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Luke Ayling’s 2025/26 Leeds prediction
He helped Leeds to promotion in 2020 but was already a consistent player prior to that. His game went to another level in the top flight during their first season. Ayling was perhaps the player who most perfectly embodied the Marcelo Bielsa team.
Even now, he is evidently someone with a lot of affection and time for Leeds still after Ayling congratulated Dan James after promotion. He has confirmed as much when spotted at the races by the ITV team today.
Speaking briefly in an interview, he said: “I’m a Leeds fan now. I absolutely love the city. I live here now, so.
“I’ll probably live here the rest of my life. I’m pleased for them.
“Hopefully, we can shoot back and get to where I think Leeds should be.”
| Season | Leeds’ division | Played (All Competitions) | Goals | Assists | Leeds’ finishing position |
| 2016/17 | Championship | 43 | – | 3 | 7th |
| 2017/18 | Championship | 31 | – | 2 | 13th |
| 2018/19 | Championship | 42 | 2 | 6 | 3rd |
| 2019/20 | Championship | 37 | 4 | 5 | 1st |
| 2020/21 | Premier League | 38 | – | – | 9th |
| 2021/22 | Premier League | 29 | 2 | 2 | 17th |
| 2022/23 | Premier League | 33 | 2 | 2 | 19th |
| 2023/24 | Championship | 15 | 1 | 1 | 3rd |
Ayling also sent Willy Gnonto a message and the Italian could be one of the key figures for Leeds if they are to consolidate their place and avoid relegation to push towards a mid-table finish next season.
Luke Ayling’s 2024/25 Middlesbrough stats
Ayling was a part of Marcelo Bielsa’s first XI at Leeds, but his decline at the back end of his career with Leeds was disappointing, leading to that Middlesbrough switch in January 2024 on an initial loan.
The 33-year-old has struggled with both form and fitness for some time now, having initially made a positive impact in his first six months with Boro. Their season ended in disappointment finishing 10th, too.
| Appearances | Starts | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards |
| 26 | 23 | 1953 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
His stats are a shame, with his relentless energy, pressing and incredible engine not what it used to be. His lung-busting runs were a feature of his game during his prime, having spent all of his peak-age years in a white shirt.
Ayling is a club legend at Leeds no matter what goes on now during the end of his career, and it’s likely that he will raise Yorkshire children as well, per his previous comments about laying down roots in the area.
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