In the 2020-21 Premier League season, Luke Ayling covered the most distance of any defender - 409km - which is almost the equivalent of running 10 marathons over the course of the season. Brought so much energy and quality to a great team.
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LUFC data
Luke Ayling's Leeds United career:
268 appearances
251 league appearances
248 starts
134 games at Elland Road
121 games won
93 Premier League apps
83 clean sheets
81 games started as captain
45.1% win rate
21 assists
11 goals
9 different managers
8 seasons
4 Premier League goals
3 Premier League assists
1 Championship title
2019/20 PFA Championship Team of the Year
2019/20 Leeds United Goal of the Season
2019/20 EFL Championship Player of the Year
Dec 2019 EFL Fans' Champ PFA Player of the Month
Feb 2020 EFL Fans' Champ PFA Player of the Month
Luke is undoubtedly one of the club's greatest ever value signings at £200,000 from Bristol City in 2016, let alone one of the most popular in modern memory.
Amassing over 250 club appearances having made the right-back slot his own since 2016, he became an integral part of Leeds' Championship-winning title season in 2019/20 whilst blossoming under the leadership of Marcelo Bielsa.
Alongside his legendary 'flops' and iconic goal celebrations, he gave us so many brilliant moments to cherish.
His unforgettable volley against Huddersfield in March 2020 will always hold a special place in Leeds fans' hearts. His 91st minute winner in that remarkable comeback win from 0-2 down to a 3-2 win at Wolves in March 2022 also a brilliant highlight. So too was his long range volley in that magnificent 5-4 win at Birmingham in December 2019.
The right-back's attacking contribution for the club has been exceptional, scoring 11 goals and providing 21 assists for the club across all competitions. Ayling's top flight form in March 2021 brought him on the verge of an England call-up, with The Guardian reporting that manager Gareth Southgate was considering giving his first England call-ups to the Leeds defender.
His assists contribution alone deserves highlighting, with only Robert Snodgrass (54), Pablo Hernandez (40), Jack Harrison (31), Ross McCormack (26) and Luciano Becchio (25) registering more assists than Ayling (21) since the start of the 2004/05 season.
Having been deployed on the right side of defence and as part of a back three, the former Arsenal graduate became a master of the 'flop', winning fouls up and down the country, marauding forward down the right channel and massing huge numbers of tackles won.
His volume of game touches, ball carries, successful pressures, progressive ball carrying distance and physical output with tackles and duels won have made him a standout performer for the club over a successful seven-year spell.
A leader on and off the pitch, Luke became the club's vice-captain after Liam Cooper as well as a trusted member of the club's the leadership group. An incredibly popular club player, it speaks volumes for how he has also been seen in the dressing room and the boardroom that he has worn the captain's armband under seven different managers at the club. He also managed to start an impressive 81 matches as Leeds captain.
An inspiration to anyone with a speech impediment, Bill has never been one to shy away from answering difficult questions when facing the media, his post-match interview after the defeat at Nottingham Forest in 2020 proved an instrumental turning point in the club's fortunes amidst a sharp downturn in form and results.
Having made his 250th club appearance milestone in May 2023, he had since struggled for game time and fell behind the pecking order, but his contribution to the club and the way in which he has conducted himself and led Leeds on and off the pitch has been highly commendable and will always be appreciated.
Luke Ayling said in March 2021: "This club means everything to me. I've had some of the best times in football here to get promoted with this team. It's something that I'l look back in several years and think wow I was so lucky to do that."
A club icon, an inspiration, a success story and anything but a flop. It's hard to imagine Leeds without Luke.
