Luke Ayling

Luke Ayling
Ayling in 2020
Personal information
Full name Luke David Ayling[1]
Date of birth (1991-08-25) 25 August 1991 (age 33)[2]
Place of birth Lambeth, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[3]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Middlesbrough
Number 12
Youth career
1999–2009 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)
2016–2024 Leeds United 251 (11)
2024 → Middlesbrough (loan) 19 (0)
2024– Middlesbrough 18 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:59, 26 December 2024 (UTC)

Luke David Ayling (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough. Although normally playing as a right-back, he can also function as a centre-back.

Ayling began his career at Arsenal joining the club at the age of 8. 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, where he was a mainstay as Leeds won the 2019–20 EFL Championship, under manager Marcelo Bielsa.

Career

Arsenal

Ayling was born in Lambeth, London.[2] He joined Arsenal at the age of 8 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 July 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 cards 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 League 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 City 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

2016–2020

Ayling signed for Championship rivals Leeds United for a fee of £200,000[26] in August 2016 after former Arsenal teammate Kyle Bartley recommended him to new head coach Garry Monk via a text message. Following an injury to right-back Gaetano Berardi in the opening game against Queens Park Rangers, Monk decided to act and sign him on a three-year deal.[26][27] The fee would later be considered one of the biggest bargains in the club's recent history, as Ayling would go on to become a seminal figure in the club's resurgence and promotion to the Premier League four years later.[28]

Ayling's maiden season with the club would see the Yorkshire club compete as genuine promotion contenders for the first time in years. Characterised by a solid defence of Ayling, Bartley, Pontus Jansson and Gaetano Berardi, Leeds beat promotion rivals Brighton & Hove Albion 2–0 to move into fourth place with only six games remaining.[29] The club would only win one of those remaining six games as they slid to seventh place and narrowly missed out on the play-offs. However, the campaign would prove to be a turning point for United with attendances up by almost a third, and the completion of Andrea Radrizzani's takeover offering new hope.[30] Ayling, along with teammates from that season Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas, Kalvin Phillips and Pablo Hernandez would provide much needed stability after years of questionable recruitment.[31]

The following 2017–18 season started brightly under new manager Thomas Christiansen with Leeds topping the table after nine games and the right–back signing a new four–year deal with the club in the autumn.[32] They would still be in the play-off positions with Ayling an ever-present by the time they faced Nottingham Forest on New Year's Day. During the 0–0 draw, Ayling would sustain an ankle injury following a tackle by former Leeds teammate Liam Bridcutt ruling him out for the rest of the season.[33] The Whites would only win one of their 17 games as Leeds slipped in the bottom half of the table, before Ayling returned ahead of schedule in the final game of the season against Queens Park Rangers.[34]

The summer of 2018 would see the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as head coach, as Leeds would again compete for promotion back to the Premier League. Ayling would achieve personal milestones during the season, with his first goal for the club coming against Rotherham United and his 100th appearance later being made at home to Swansea City.[35] He would also begin deputising for Liam Cooper as captain.[36] He would make 42 appearances as Leeds slowly lost their grip on automatic promotion, having led the division at Christmas, before losing to Derby County in the play-offs.[37]

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.[38] 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.[39]

He signed a new four-year contract with the club in October 2019.[40] His first goal of the 2019–20 season came on 29 December 2019, in a 5–4 victory in a dramatic win against Birmingham City, with Ayling scoring a long range volley.[41] On 30 December 2019, Ayling was chosen as the right-back for the "Football League Team of the decade" by The Guardian.[42]

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 former United player Tom Lees as well as Jed Wallace, Lee Tomlin, Sam Johnstone and Andre Ayew.[43] 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 Bromwich Albion, bucking the trend of Leeds' three prior winless results,[44] and his "stunning volley"[45] in Leeds' 2–0 defeat of Huddersfield Town on 7 March that put the team back on top of the Championship.[46] His performances in February saw him awarded the EFL Championship Player of the Month title.[47]

After the English professional football season was paused in March 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football, after the season was resumed during June, Ayling earned promotion to the Premier League with Leeds becoming the EFL Championship Champions for the 2019–20 season in July after the successful resumption of the season.[48]

Ayling won Leeds' goal of the season award for his volley against Huddersfield Town at the club's end of season awards on 24 July 2020.[49] On 7 August, he was named in The Guardian's EFL Championship team of the season for 2019–20.[50]

On 19 August 2020, Ayling won the EFL Championship PFA Fans' Player of the Year for 2019/20 award after beating off competition from nominees including Ollie Watkins and Aleksandar Mitrovic.[51] On 8 September 2020, Ayling was named in Professional Footballers' Association's 2019–20 EFL Championship Team of the Season.[52]

2020–2024

Ayling made his 2020–21 Premier League debut in the first match of the season against Liverpool on 12 September 2020, starting and captaining Leeds in the 4–3 defeat at Anfield to the reigning champions,[53][54] and went on to make a total of 38 league appearances for the season.

He scored his first goal for Leeds in the Premier League in the 2021–22 season opener, coming in a 5–1 defeat to rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.[55] This was nominated as one of the Premier League's Goals of the Month for August.[56][57] A 17 September knee injury in a 1–1 draw at Newcastle United, a game in which Patrick Bamford also suffered an ankle injury, saw Ayling sidelined for almost three months while he had a minor operation to fix his knee.[58] In his 5 December return game, where he was in the starting lineup, Ayling provided the assist for a 94th-minute equalizer by Bamford (making his return in the same game) in a 2–2 home draw with Brentford.[59]

On 12 December 2021, Ayling joined a select group of just 70 players that have made over 200 appearances for the club,[60] including then teammates Stuart Dallas, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips. On 18 March 2022, Ayling netted a stoppage time winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a thrilling comeback for Leeds United. On 8 May 2022, during a Premier League match against Arsenal, Ayling was sent off for a two footed tackle on Gabriel Martinelli. Ayling was initially shown a yellow card, which was later upgraded to red by VAR.

Fitness and injuries limited Ayling's playing time during the pre-World Cup portion of the season. At the time of the Premier League break on 13 November 2022, he had made only seven league appearances, all bar one as a late substitute. He played the full 90 minutes in just two games in October and November in the league[61] and the League Cup.[62] On 16 February 2023, the club announced it had extended his contract by a year to the summer of 2024.[63] On 13 May, he scored his first Premier League goal at Elland Road in a 2–2 draw against Newcastle United, in his 250th appearance for the club in all competitions.[64] Ayling left the club at the end of the 2023–24 season having made 268 appearances and scoring 11 goals in his eight years with Leeds.[65]

Middlesbrough

In January 2024, Ayling joined Championship club Middlesbrough on loan for the remainder of the 2023–24 season.[66] He made 19 appearances and contributed eight assists during his loan spell.[65]

On 27 May 2024, it was confirmed that Ayling would sign for Middlesbrough on a permanent deal having spent the previous season on loan with them.[65] Ayling signed a two-year deal with the club.[65]

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.[67] Ayling was praised for his defensive work which gave Leeds United a solid start to the 2017–18 season.[68]

Personal life

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.[69][70][71][72]

Ayling has one daughter, Maisie, who was born in March 2017.[73] On 9 June 2021, he married his wife Poppy, with singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding performing at the ceremony.[74]

Ayling has the nickname "Bill", and is often referred to as such by Leeds players and fans.[75] He speaks with a stammer.[76]

His uncle is Ray Lewington, and his cousin is Ray's son Dean Lewington.[77]

Career statistics

As of match played 14 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Arsenal 2009–10[78] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yeovil Town (loan) 2009–10[78] League One 4 0 — — — 4 0
Yeovil Town 2010–11[17] League One 37 0 1 0 1 0 1[a] 0 40 0
2011–12[79] League One 44 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 48 0
2012–13[80] League One 39 0 0 0 2 0 6[b] 0 47 0
2013–14[81] Championship 42 2 2 0 2 1 — 46 3
Total 166 2 6 0 6 1 7 0 185 3
Bristol City 2014–15[82] League One 46 4 5 0 1 0 6[a] 0 58 4
2015–16[25] Championship 33 0 2 0 1 0 — 36 0
2016–17[83] Championship 1 0 — 0 0 — 1 0
Total 80 4 7 0 2 0 6 0 95 4
Leeds United 2016–17[83] Championship 42 0 0 0 1 0 — 43 0
2017–18[84] Championship 27 0 0 0 4 0 — 31 0
2018–19[85] Championship 38 2 1 0 1 0 2[c] 0 42 2
2019–20[86] Championship 37 4 1 0 0 0 — 38 4
2020–21[87] Premier League 38 0 0 0 0 0 — 38 0
2021–22[88] Premier League 26 2 1 0 1 0 — 28 2
2022–23[89] Premier League 29 2 2 0 1 0 — 32 2
2023–24[90] Championship 14 1 1 0 1 0 — 16 1
Total 251 11 6 0 9 0 2 0 268 11
Middlesbrough (loan) 2023–24[90] Championship 19 0 — — — 19 0
Middlesbrough 2024–25[91] Championship 18 0 0 0 2 0 — 20 0
Total 37 0 0 0 2 0 — 39 0
Career total 534 17 19 0 19 1 15 0 587 18
  1. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
  2. ^ Three appearances in Football League Trophy, three appearances in League One play-offs
  3. ^ Appearances in Championship play-offs

Honours

Arsenal U18

Yeovil Town

Bristol City

Leeds United

Individual

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. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
  3. ^ "Luke Ayling". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  4. ^ "More on: Luke Ayling". Arsenal Youth Blog. 15 December 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  5. ^ "Jack Wilshere will be back terrorising opponents again soon – I can't wait". Metro. London. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Four youngsters turn pro while nine depart". Arsenal F.C. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  7. ^ a b c "Player Profiles- Arsenal's resilient defensive duo Luke Ayling and Kyle Bartley". Arsenal Youth Blog. 14 July 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  8. ^ "Ramsey agrees new deal at Arsenal". BBC Sport. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  9. ^ "Olympiacos 1–0 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Luke Ayling joins Yeovil Town". Arsenal F.C. 30 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Yeovil Town sign Arsenal defender Luke Ayling". BBC Sport. 17 March 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  12. ^ "Southend 0–0 Yeovil". BBC Sport. 2 April 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Luke Ayling remains at Yeovil Town for rest of season". BBC Sport. 14 April 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  14. ^ "Brighton 1–0 Yeovil". BBC Sport. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  15. ^ "Yeovil Town to sign Arsenal teenager Luke Ayling". BBC Sport. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  16. ^ "Yeovil 2–1 Leyton Orient". BBC Sport. 7 August 2010.
  17. ^ a b "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  18. ^ a b Maiden, Phil (19 May 2013). "Brentford 1–2 Yeovil". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  19. ^ "Gary Johnson: Yeovil's Stech, Ayling and Webster set for exit". BBC Sport. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  20. ^ "Yeovil Town: Jamie McAllister released as five offered deals". BBC Sport. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  21. ^ "Luke Ayling: Bristol City sign Yeovil Town defender". BBC Sport. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  22. ^ "Sheffield United 1–2 Bristol City". BBC Sport. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  23. ^ a b Chapman, Caroline (22 March 2015). "Bristol City 2–0 Walsall". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  24. ^ "Bristol City 0–0 Coventry City". BBC Sport. 18 April 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  25. ^ a b "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  26. ^ a b "Luke Ayling meets Arsenal unrecognisable from the player they released at 18". The Athletic. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Luke Ayling: How my Leeds United transfer came around". Leeds All Over. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  28. ^ "Leeds Have Ended up with a Serious Bargain for Defender Luke Ayling". The Athletic. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Leeds 2-0 Brighton". BBC Sport. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Andrea Radrizzani: Italian businessman completes Leeds United takeover". BBC Sport. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  31. ^ "What happened to all 26 of Massimo Cellino's signings at Leeds United". Leeds Live. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Ayling signs new deal". leedsunited.com. Leeds United F.C. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  33. ^ "Leeds 0 Nottingham Forest 0". BBC Sport. 1 January 2018.
  34. ^ "Leeds United 2 QPR 0: Ayling glad to play role in convincing Bartley". The Yorkshire Post. 7 May 2018.
  35. ^ "Leeds United vs Rotherham". BBC Sport. 18 August 2018.
  36. ^ "Aston Villa 2 Leeds United 3". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  37. ^ "Leeds United 2–4 Derby County (Derby win 4–3 on agg)". BBC Sport. 15 May 2019.
  38. ^ Sobot, Lee (26 July 2019). "Luke Ayling injury update as Leeds United squad flies out to Sardinia for Cagliari Calcio clash". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  39. ^ "Angus Kinnear interview — part two: Leeds United rejected £35m worth of bids, strengthened and addressed Financial Fair Play requirements". Yorkshire Evening Post. 8 August 2019.
  40. ^ "Luke Ayling: Leeds United defender signs new four-year contract at Elland Road". BBC Sport. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  41. ^ "Birmingham City 4–5 Leeds United: Bielsa's men beat Blues". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  42. ^ "Schmeichel to Sharp: the Football League team of the decade". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  43. ^ "Luke Ayling named PFA Player of the Month". leedsunited.com. Leeds United F.C. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  44. ^ "Leeds United 1–0 Bristol City". The Guardian. 15 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  45. ^ Unwin, Will (7 March 2020). "Football League: Leeds move top of Championship, Coventry beat Ipswich". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  46. ^ Mellor, Jason (7 March 2020). "Luke Ayling's thunderbolt helps send Leeds back top with Huddersfield victory". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  47. ^ "Luke Ayling Named PFA February Player of the Month". leedsunited.com. Leeds United F.C. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  48. ^ "Championship: Leeds United promoted to Premier League after 16-year absence". BBC Sport. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  49. ^ a b "Leeds United Player of the Year 2020 winners". leedsunited.com. Leeds United F.C. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  50. ^ "Who makes our Football League teams of the season for 2019-20?". The Guardian. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  51. ^ a b "Luke Ayling named PFA Player of the Year". leedsunited.com. Leeds United F.C. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  52. ^ a b "PFA Player of the Year: Kevin de Bruyne and Beth England named 2020 winners". BBC Sport. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  53. ^ "Salah hat-trick sinks Leeds in thriller". BBC Sport. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  54. ^ "'Leeds make magnificently chaotic return'". BBC Sport. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  55. ^ "Manchester United 5–1 Leeds United". BBC Sport. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  56. ^ "Luke and Raphinha Nominated for Premier League Goal of the Month!". Leedsunited.com. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  57. ^ "Pick August's Budweiser Goal of the Month!". PremierLeague.com. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  58. ^ Rayner, Stuart (30 September 2020). "Leeds United's Luke Ayling set for 'clean-up' operation as Patrick Bamford's injury absence continues". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  59. ^ Jolly, Richard (5 December 2021). "Bamford returns from injury to secure late point for Leeds against Brentford". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  60. ^ "Leeds United Club 200". LUFCTALK STATS & HISTORY. 14 August 2021. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  61. ^ Dawkes, Phil (23 October 2022). "Leeds 2–3 Fulham: Cottagers beat Whites to increase pressure on Marsch". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  62. ^ Smith, Emma (9 November 2022). "Carabao Cup: Wolves 1–0 Leeds - Boubacar Traore fires hosts into last 16". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  63. ^ "Leeds extend Ayling contract until summer 2024". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  64. ^ "Leeds United 2–2 Newcastle United: 'Both Leeds and Newcastle left nursing regrets'". BBC Sport. 13 May 2023.
  65. ^ a b c d "Ayling's move to Middlesbrough made permanent". BBC Sport. 27 May 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  66. ^ "Luke Ayling: Leeds United defender joins Middlesbrough on loan". 10 January 2024 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  67. ^ Claridge, Steve (28 April 2009). "Scouting report: Luke Ayling, Arsenal". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  68. ^ D'ialbiac, Stephen (4 September 2017). "This stat proves just how impressive ex-Yeovil Town star Luke Ayling has been with Leeds United". Somersetlive. Somerset. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  69. ^ "Take Us Home: What we learned from Leeds documentary". BBC Sport. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  70. ^ "Inside story of how Daniel James' transfer to Leeds collapsed before Man Utd move". The Mirror. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  71. ^ "Amazon documentary reveals how Manchester United player Daniel James' Leeds United transfer collapsed". Manchester Evening News. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  72. ^ "Take Us Home documentary reveals just how close Daniel James was to joining Leeds United". Leeds Live. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  73. ^ "Leeds United defender Luke Ayling celebrates birth of baby girl just before Fulham match". www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  74. ^ Grieveson-Smith, Jess (12 June 2021). "Leeds United star's lavish wedding with private Ellie Goulding show". LeedsLive. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  75. ^ Jackson, Elliott (15 April 2020). "The story of Luke Ayling's 'Bill' nickname and why it's stuck at Leeds". LeedsLive. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  76. ^ "'Why am I scared?' - Leeds' Ayling on stammer" – via www.bbc.com.
  77. ^ Cross, Beren (9 April 2023). "Bamford bench celebration, Ayling-Hodgson meeting in Leeds United moments missed". Leeds Live.
  78. ^ a b "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  79. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  80. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  81. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  82. ^ a b "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  83. ^ a b "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  84. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  85. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  86. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  87. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  88. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  89. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  90. ^ a b "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  91. ^ "Games played by Luke Ayling in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  92. ^ "League One: 2014/15: Latest table". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  93. ^ "Leeds United are champions!". leedsunited.com. Leeds United F.C. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Luke Ayling.