Luke Ayling has been speaking to the Daily Star about his future, and the 30-year-old made a claim which Leeds fans will love.
What’s the story?
Well, the £35,000-a-week man is keen to stay at Elland Road for the remainder of his career, as he’s loving life in Yorkshire.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Ayling said: “I’d love to spend the rest of my life in Leeds. I love it here. I brought my family here and I’d live here for the rest of my life. Ideally I’d love to stay here for the rest of my career, but football is a cut-throat business and who knows what’s in the future.”
Clearly, the Leeds No.2 feels very comfortable in Yorkshire right now, where he has spent the last six years of his career.
Since joining from Bristol City in 2016, Ayling has gone on to make 216 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals while providing 18 assists.
He has become a vital figure at Elland Road, captaining the side in the absence of Liam Cooper, having become a real leader at the club.
Therefore, it’s no surprise to see Ayling state his desire to stay at Leeds for the remainder of his career.
Leeds need more players like Luke Ayling
In our view, if Leeds had more characters like Ayling, they wouldn’t be anywhere near a relegation battle this season.
People like him set the tone in the dressing room, while it was only recently we saw footage of him helping 19-year-old Stuart McKinstry at Thorp Arch.
Leeds sadly lost a lot of big characters back in the summer, when Ezgjan Alioski, Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi all left Yorkshire.
Therefore, in addition to finding quality, Victor Orta must also ensure he finds some real leaders in the transfer market this summer.
If he doesn’t, then Jesse Marsch could find himself battling relegation all over again next season.
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