The former Leeds United defender endured another unsuccessful Championship play-off campaign with Middlesbrough.
Leeds United promotion hero Luke Ayling admits he ‘fell back in love with football’ this season despite suffering more play-off heartbreak at Middlesbrough.
Instead it was Boro who made the final, with former Leeds defender Ayling coming up against out-on-loan Whites forward Joe Gelhardt. The latter is now celebrating promotion thanks to an added-time Oli McBurnie goal with Ayling’s side the first ever to suffer Championship play-off semi-final and final defeat.
In an emotional end-of-season post on Instagram, Ayling wrote: “Gutted with how the season ended. We gave everything from the first day of preseason to the last whistle at Wembley.
“It didn't end the way we all dreamt it would, but I know with the group we have and the coaching staff we are not going anywhere and we will be back to fight to get this club promoted!
“Personally just want to say thank you for all the support this season. It really has been a season where I fell back in love with football and a smile back on my face every time I stepped over that white line.”
Luke Ayling playing regularly after Leeds United exit
Ayling was a central part of Boro’s success over the 2025/26 season, playing 40 of his side’s 46 regular-season games before featuring in all three play-off fixtures. A total of 43 appearances is the most the right-back has enjoyed in a single league campaign since 2014/15 with Bristol City.
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The 34-year-old has now completed his second full season at the Riverside Stadium, having joined Boro permanently in the summer of 2024. The defender had spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on Teesside before calling time on an incredible eight years at Elland Road.
Ayling joined Leeds in 2016 and was part of the side that suffered play-off semi-final heartbreak against Derby County under Marcelo Bielsa three years later. He and the squad rallied that summer to win the 2019/20 Championship title and end a 16-year wait for Premier League football.
The defender went on to play all 38 league games as Leeds finished ninth in the top-flight under Bielsa and remained a regular starter through all three Premier League years. He fell out of favour under new boss Daniel Farke but remains a much-loved figure around Elland Road, with 268 appearances in total for the Whites.
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