Luke Ayling may have said goodbye to Leeds United after what he did following 3-0 win v Peterborough
Luke Ayling may have waved goodbye to Leeds United following the 3-0 FA Cup victory against Peterborough, as he applauded the travelling support at full-time.
Ayling was comforted by teammates including Liam Cooper as he spent noticeably longer applauding the fans than any other player on the pitch.
The Elland Road stalwart made sure to take his time over towards the fans, showing his affection and gratitude for their support, and increasing speculation that he may have waved one final goodbye.
The video was shared on Twitter by LUFCFANZONE [7 January], accompanied by the suggestion that it may have been a final farewell for the full-back, who looked seemingly upset.
With his contract due to expire at the end of the current season, and a decision still yet to be made over an extension, as well as a lack of game time under Daniel Farke, speculation has been rife as to whether Ayling will remain at Elland Road beyond this season.
More recently, it has been suggested that he could depart before the expiry of his deal, with Middlesbrough keen on bringing the 32-year-old to the Riverside [Sky Sports, 3 January] to help add experience to their squad as they push for promotion.
Farke has been full of praise for Ayling this season, gushing over his presence in the dressing room and the support he lends to the younger players, but this has had no effect on his game time or contract situation at Leeds.
Featuring in the FA Cup victory may have been the last time Ayling features for Leeds after 268 appearances for the club since he arrived in 2016, and an emotional goodbye to the fans at full-time looked to be the final hint that his future lies away from Elland Road.
In other Leeds United news, Fabrizio Romano shared an update on Djed Spence at Tottenham.