Leeds United: Farke may have provided Luke Ayling with contract hope after ‘best ever’ claim
Daniel Farke may have provided Luke Ayling with fresh hope over earning a new contract at Leeds United after he claimed he is the best dressing room character he has ever worked with.
The boss gushed over Ayling, sharing how his impact on the spirit and identity in the dressing room is crucial for the squad, even if his minutes and game time are limited.
There has been speculation over the defender’s future, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season, but this praise from Farke has hinted he may want to keep him around.
Speaking to Leeds Live following the 3-1 victory against Swansea on 29 November, Farke shared: “To leave him out for the first time, knowing what it means to him to be involved on a game day, it was probably one of my most difficult decisions I’ve ever made in this job.
“My valuation and appreciation of his value for the squad won’t change at all because I pretty rarely talk about something like this, but in terms of football character, team-mate character, a character for a group, Luke Ayling is second to none and probably the best player, in these terms, I’ve ever worked with.
“I am really careful with such a compliment. He is the kid who brings the spirit and identity into this dressing room. This player is so, so crucial for us. If he plays many minutes, if he’s just on the bench with a few minutes, or not in the squad, he brings the heart and soul into my side.
“He makes sure we don’t drop the standards in training. He makes sure everyone is really on it in training, disciplined, focused, working hard each and every day.”
The Athletic [16 October] reported that final contract decisions on Leeds’ players will rest with Farke. Ayling is joined by fellow stalwarts Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas with their contracts all set to expire at the end of the current season at Elland Road.
The influence of Ayling behind the scenes cannot go unnoticed in this process, and to go as far as saying he is the best he has ever worked with is huge praise for a player who will surely appreciate such respect from his boss.
His influence on the squad, keeping morale up in the dressing room and pushing them to be better in training, will likely prove a vital part of the promotion push this season, driving standards up and ensuring everybody is at their best.
A player like that simply cannot be overvalued, regardless of his waning influence on the pitch, and he could prove more important to Farke and his squad than some of the players who get more on-field minutes than him over the course of the season.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay provided a new Elland Road update yesterday.