Ayling: Luke David (Luke)
2016-Current
(Leeds Player Details)
(Player Details)
Right Full-Back
Born: Lambeth, London: 25-08-1991
Debut: Birmingham City (h): 13-08-2016
5' 10" 12st 4lb (2016)
Cockney-born Ayling was a member of the Arsenal Academy from a very early age and was always a
stand-out performer in his early years, outshining the likes of Jack Wilshire and his other contemporaries.
He signed scholarship forms in the summer before the 2007-08 and his consistency at Under-Eighteen level,
where he made twenty-three appearances, saw him break into the Arsenal Reserves as a sixteen year old,
making nine appearances at centre-half and right-back. Under the tutelage of Steve Bould he made rapid
strides, improving his aerial ability and becoming a genuine two footed player. He partnered Kyle Bartley at
the heart of the central defence but moved into midfield as Thomas Cruise emerged to partner Bartley in
defence. The three formed the base on which the Arsenal double was founded as they won the Premier
Academy League and the F.A. Youth Cup in 2008–09. Ayling, in midfield, scored his first goal for the Under-
Eighteens against Southampton in October and never looked back. On one occasion in a game against
Fulham, Arsenal goalkeeper, James Shea, was injured early in the game and Ayling took over with an
impressive performance in goal and made several fine saves. He was rewarded with a professional contract
on 1st July 2009. He made three appearances for the Reserves and twice sat unused on the bench and on
9th December 2009 he was selected for the Arsenal first team squad for the Group H away clash with Greek
side Olympiacos Piraeus, in Athens, but he did not play, although he was an unused substitute on the bench.
With the competition for places at Arsenal being so intense, it made sense that he was loaned to League
One side, Yeovil Town, on 17th March 2010 on a one month deal which was extended to the end of the season.
He made his debut as a seventy-ninth minute substitute for Keiran Murtagh in a 0-0 draw at Southend United
on 3rd April 2010 and then sat unused on the bench for two games before his loan ran out, but it was extended
until the end of the season and this enabled him to twice more come on as a substitute, both in place of Gavin
Williams, in the forty-second minute of a 1-1 draw at Griffin Park against Brentford on 24th April 2010 and
three minutes into injury time at the end of a 3-0 home win over Oldham Athletic a week later, before making
his starting debut on 8th May 2010 at Brighton & Hove Albion in a 0-1 defeat in which he was replaced by
Danny Hutchins after eighty-three minutes. He signed on a permanent basis at Huish Park in the close season.
He soon became a regular and made his starting debut, after signing permanently, on 7th August 2010 in a 2-1
home victory over Leyton Orient and in the 2010-2011 he went on to make thirty-one starts, six games from
the bench and sat unused twice in the League, as Yeovil finished fourteenth, while starting one game each in
the F.A. Cup and League Cup and came on once as a substitute in the Football League Trophy. On 11th May he
signed a two year contract with the League One side. He was made Vice-Captain for the 2011-12 season and
started forty-four League games as Yeovil finished nineteenth, while also starting three F.A. Cup and one
League Cup games. In 2012-13 he started thirty-eight, came off the bench once and sat unused on the bench
five times as Yeovil finished fourth and won promotion to the Championship by beating Brentford 2-1 at
Wembley and Ayling played all three play-off games. He also started three games in the Football League
Trophy, in which they reached the Southern Semi-Final, and also started two games in the League Cup and
came off the bench once in the F.A. Cup. 2013-14 saw Yeovil relegated back to League One after finishing
bottom, but he still started forty-one, came of the bench once and was an unused substitute on three
occasions in League games, while starting twice each in the F.A. Cup and League Cup. The season saw him
score three goals. His first goal for the club came on 27th August 2013 in the League Cup home tie with
Birmingham City, when after the scores were locked at 2-2 at full-time, the game went into extra-time and it
was Ayling that gave Yeovil the lead and made the score 3-2 as the half-time whistle was ready to blow. The
Blues came back to equalise in the second half of extra-time and the game went to penalties. Unfortunately
for Yeovil they could only manage two, while the Blues got three of their five penalties. His first League goal
for the club came on 18th March 2014 in a 3-3 draw at Wigan Athletic, when he got the final equaliser five
minutes into injury time at the end of the game and his second League goal came on 29th March 2014, when
he reduced the arrears to 1-2 in the seventieth minute before visitors Barnsley got two more so Yeovil were
defeated 1-4 at home. Now out of contract he rejected an offer from Yeovil and signed a three year contract
with League One team, Bristol City on 8th July 2014. Since signing permanently he had scored twice in
starting one hundred and fifty-four League games and come from the bench in eight more. He had also scored
once in six League Cup appearances and started six F.A. Cup ties, and three in the Football League trophy,
together with one from the bench. He had also started three games in the League One play-offs. He made his
Bristol City debut in a 2-1 win at Bramall Lane over Sheffield United on 9th August 2014 in League One and
went on to be ever-present in the League, playing all forty-six games as the Robins were Champions of League
One with ninety-nine points to gain promotion to the Championship. He also scored four goals in the League.
His first was on 25th October 2014 in a 2-2 draw at Oakwell against Barnsley when he opened the scoring in
the thirty-sixth minute with a header. He then scored the only goal of the game at home to Crawley Town with
a right foot shot three minutes from time. His third was in the reverse fixture with Crawley when he got the
winning goal in the eighty-fourth minute when his header gave the Robins a 2-1 away win. His fourth goal was
in a colossal 6-0 away win over Bradford City when he got the third goal in the fifty-fourth minute with a shot
from long range. Bristol also won the Football League trophy, beating Walsall 2-0 in the Final at Wembley on
22nd March 2014 to give him a winner's medal for his five starts and one game from the bench in that trophy.
He also started five games in the F.A. Cup and one in the League Cup. He helped Bristol consolidate their
position in the Championship and as they finished eighteenth he started twenty-nine, and came of the bench
four times while being twice unused on the bench. He also started one in the F.A. Cup, and was also once a
substitute, while in the League Cup he started one. He still had one year of his contract to run at the start of
the 2016-17 season and had start in the Robins' first League game of the season in the 2-1 win over Wigan
Athletic on 6th August 2016 when he signed a three year contract with Leeds United on 11th August 2016 for
an undisclosed fee, speculated as being £750,000 by the Bristol and other Press. He had scored four goals
and started seventy-six League games and come off the bench on four occasions, started six and been a
substitute once in the F.A. Cup, started twice in the League Cup, and started five and been a substitute once
in the Football League Trophy. He made his debut for Leeds at right-back in a 1-2 home defeat by
Birmingham City in a Championship League game and seemed to have established himself as the club's
right back in subsequent matches, playing full games in the 1-1 draw at home to Fulham, the 2-0 win at
Sheffield Wednesday and the 1-3 loss at Nottingham Forest, but, like several regulars he was rested for the
League Cup win at Luton Town and sat unused on the bench. He turned out to be not only United's best
defender, whether in his accepted right back position or as a stand-in central defender when injuries
precluded collegues from playing, but also proving a willing attacker with strong runs down the right flank or
in assaults on the opposition goal from set-pieces. While only making one substitute for the injured Liam
Cooper, at half time, in the 0-2 loss at Anfield to Liverpool in the League Cup, he took no part in other Cup-
ties, as Garry Monk gave his regulars a rest, he only missed three games, the 1-1 draw at Fulham on 7th
March, the 2-0 win at home to Brighton and Hove Albion, on 18th March 2017, and on 1st April in the 0-1
defeat at Reading. The first was to attend the birth of his child and the final two due to suspension for an
accumulation of yellow cards. He did not find the net, but went close on several occasions. He maintained
his regular position in the United squad, mainly at right back, but also in central defence when the need
arose. He was also captain on several occasions when others were not available. His long run came to an
end on 1st January 20108 when he was injured at home to Nottingham Forest and missed the rest of the
season apart from the final game. The new season saw him back in his regular position and he finally
scored the goal that he had so long threatened. It came four minutes after half-time in the home game with
Rotherham United when he opened the scoring in a game that Leeds went on to win 2-0.