Leeds United: Mateusz Klich and Ross McCormack react as Luke Ayling exit news announced
Mateusz Klich and Ross McCormack have immediately reacted to the news that Luke Ayling has left Leeds United to join Middlesbrough on loan for the second half of the season.
The 32-year-old has been part of the furniture at Elland Road since 2016 but has joined Michael Carrick’s on a temporary basis until the end of the 2023/24 season and the expiry of his current deal with the Whites.
Shortly after the news was announced on Wednesday (10 January), Ayling took to his Instagram page to post a goodbye message to supporters and his teammates at Elland Road and was quickly embraced by a number of fans and Leeds stars past and present.
McCormack was one of the first to reply to the post, saying: “Lovely words. All the best Luke Ayling.”
Klick was much more subtle in his response, simply replying with a heart emoji and a face crying.
A loved character
Leeds United supporters almost immediately took to Ayling as soon as he arrived at Elland Road, thanks to his incredible work ethic and his clear love for not only football but the Whites in general as a club.
What is clear from the response to his goodbye message is that his teammates felt the exact same way about him as fans inside Elland Road did, with Whites stars past and present quickly wishing the defender well as soon as his move was announced.
Ayling was a huge part of what made Leeds so special under the management of Marcelo Bielsa and when times have been tough in recent seasons, he has always stood up and given his all, even if it hasn’t always brought with it the ideal outcome.
He may have become surplus to requirements under Daniel Farke this season, but his impact behind the scenes has obviously been immense and it will be a shame if he never pulls on a Leeds kit again following the end of his loan spell.
In other Leeds United news, Alan Shearer was left wowed by one moment during the Whites FA Cup clash