Leeds United hero Mateusz Klich pays tribute to departing Luke Ayling with simple but heartfelt message

The DC United man, currently enjoying an end-of-season break in his native Poland before returning to the United States, played alongside Ayling 156 times during their shared, successful spell at Elland Road. A beloved dressing room pair during one of the club’s most successful periods in recent history, Klich posted on social networking site X - formerly known as Twitter - after news broke of Ayling’s imminent move to Middlesbrough. The defender is expected to complete a loan switch to the Riverside Stadium until the end of the season, at which point his Leeds contract will expire, therefore his January departure all but spells the end to a seven-and-a-half-year stay in West Yorkshire. In reply to a post listing Ayling’s achievements at Elland Road by @LUFCDATA, Klich posted several of the reaction emoji with tears in its eyes. Emojipedia describes this particular icon as: “Face Holding Back Tears - A yellow face with tears welling up at the bottom of its two large eyes. “May be used to express a range of emotions including…admiration and gratitude.” Tributes from across the Leeds United-supporting world have poured in since Wednesday morning’s news while Ayling is expected to bid farewell to his teammates and the fans in an official capacity before his Boro switch is confirmed. Thirty-three-year-old Klich and 32-year-old Ayling accumulated over 10,000 minutes on the pitch together between 2017 and 2023. Only Jack Harrison has appeared alongside Klich more frequently during the Pole's career than Ayling managed at Elland Road.