Following the confirmation of Luke Ayling’s departure from Leeds United on Wednesday night, Kalvin Phillips is one of several former and current teammates who have expressed their condolences to him.
A lack of playing time under Daniel Farke led Ayling to join Middlesbrough on loan for the remainder of the season, ending his seven and a half-year relationship with the Whites.
It’s officially goodbye for Ayling at Elland Road as his contract expires at the end of the season, as evidenced by his heartfelt Instagram post.
In addition to Rodrigo Moreno and Pablo Hernandez, England and Manchester City player Kalvin Phillips has also responded to Ayling’s Instagram post.
The sheer amount of comments demonstrates how well-liked Ayling is among football fans. He has also spent a significant lot of time at Leeds, which is uncommon in this day and age.
Phillips messages Ayling following Leeds departure
Naturally, Phillips and Ayling were important members of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds promotion squad during the 2019–20 campaign and the team’s inaugural Premier League season.
There was a great camaraderie among them off the field as well, but now there are very few of them left at Leeds. Phillips has wished him well, as have people like Junior Firpo and Archie Gray.
Farke has frequently mentioned the kind of character Ayling was in the Leeds dressing room, as evidenced by comments made by Firpo, Phillips, and Gray.
Firpo has had difficulty adjusting to Leeds since moving there from Barcelona in 2021, but it is evident from that remark how much Ayling has tried to support him.
There is no denying how much of a loss he will be off the field at Elland Road, even though his role on the field has decreased recently.
