Luke Ayling is a professional footballer who currently plays for Middlesbrough in the Championship.
The Middlesbrough right-back is best known for his time at one of Boro’s Championship rivals, Leeds United.
Luke Ayling began his career with Arsenal’s academy but never played any senior games for the Gunners.
He went on to enjoy spells with Yeovil Town and Bristol City before joining Leeds in 2016.
Ayling helped The Whites secure promotion to the Premier League in 2019/20 and Michael Carrick will be hoping he can do the same with Boro.
But who is Ayling? Let’s take a look at everything Middlesbrough fans need to know about the player.
Luke Ayling age
Luke Ayling was born on August 25th, 1991, which makes him 32 years old at the time of writing and toward the end of his playing career.
How tall is Luke Ayling?
Ayling is approximately 1.83 metres tall (183cm), which would make the Middlesbrough star approximately six feet in height.
That is on the taller side for a full-back in the Championship, with Ayling able to use it to his advantage.
Where is Luke Ayling from?
Ayling was born in Lambeth, South London. He was a Chelsea fan as a child but joined Arsenal’s academy at the age of eight.
What is the market value of Luke Ayling?
According to Transfermarkt, Ayling is valued at €1m (around £850,000) as of July 2024.
Transfermarkt valued the Middlesbrough defender at €1.8m (roughly £1.5m) in June 2023.
Luke Ayling salary
Ayling is currently earning £1.3m-per-year, or £25,000-a-week, with Middlesbrough – not including bonuses.
The Englishman has one year left on his Middlesbrough contract.
When did Luke Ayling join Middlesbrough?
Ayling first joined Middlesbrough on loan from Leeds on January 10th, 2024.
After spending the second half of 2023/24 on loan in the North East, Boro signed Ayling on a free transfer on May 27th, 2024.
Luke Ayling Middlesbrough stats
At the time of writing, Ayling has played 19 games for Middlesbrough, all of which were in the Championship.
The defender has provided eight assists during his time at the Riverside, averaging just under one assist every two games.
Why was Luke Ayling known as Bill
Luke Ayling has the nickname ‘Bill’ from his time with Arsenal.
Patrick Bamford explained the reason for the nickname on the My Mate’s A Footballer podcast.
He said: “When he was a youngster at Arsenal, there was another player called Luke Freeman, so instead of having two Lukes, Ayling decided he wanted to be called Bill.”
Luke Ayling wife
Ayling married his wife Poppy on June 9th, 2021. Singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding performed at the couple’s ceremony.
Luke Ayling children
Ayling has one daughter named Maisie, who was born on March 7th, 2017.