Leeds United ace Luke Ayling bravely opens up on changed attitude towards 'horrible' stutter

Leeds signed former Arsenal youngster Ayling from Bristol City back in August 2016 and the defender was initially not comfortable with taking part in interviews.

Now, though, the Whites defender known affectionately as 'Bill' is a regular when it comes to media duties and the 30-year-old has reflected on how he has tried to overcome insecurities of his stutter.

"When I first came to Leeds I wasn't comfortable at all doing interviews," said Ayling, speaking to the BBC on MOTDx.

"I have kind of got to a point now where I just don't care.

"If I do an interview and I have a stutter, I see a lot of things online where people say that I say then and like a lot.

"But that's my safety blanket kind of thing because I know I can get them words out.

"I see a lot of people who maybe don't know that I have got a stutter say 'all I can hear is then and like.'

"But I just got to a point where I just thought, 'do you know what, I am doing an interview with somebody who wants to speak to me and actually wants to hear what I have got to say so why am I scared to do it kind of thing because I shied away so long from doing it.

"But I still will go to a drive through and I will be sat in the drivers' seat and I still make my missus order it because I don't want to do it.

"I still have them insecurities.

"Obviously it's horrible because I sit here and I have got loads of things that I want to say but know I can't get them out so then I just rumble on.

"That's probably why I am quite loud in the dressing room and just don't care because I just say what I feel."

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