Luke Ayling hails Leeds United breakthrough and issues season mindset message with claim quashed

Leeds will begin their quest for promotion back to the Premier League with Sunday’s hosting of Cardiff City which Daniel Farke’s side are approaching following back to back victories in pre-season friendlies against Nottingham Forest and Hearts.

Goals from Patrick Bamford and Ian Poveda gave Leeds a 2-0 success in Thursday night’s clash against Forest at Burton Albion, just three days before Ayling’s strike bagged a 1-0 triumph at Sunday’s SPL hosts Hearts at Tynecastle.

In doing so, Leeds recorded back to back clean sheets for the first time since April 2022, a breakthrough which Ayling says has given his side a definite boost ahead of the new campaign.

"It's a really nice way to finish,” said Ayling to LUTV. "We had a good game on Thursday and to then back it up soon after is really nice. We haven't kept two clean sheets in a long time so for us that's really nice to go into the season with.”

Leeds are clear second favourites to win next season’s division, behind only Leicester City. The three teams that were relegated from last season’s Premier League form the top three in the betting with Southampton fractionally behind the Whites ahead of their Friday night trip to Sheffield Wednesday in the first game of the new campaign.

The fixtures will then come thick and fast and Ayling has issued a composed squad message ahead of the 46-game marathon.

"The mindset is to keep trying to build on what we have built so far in these five weeks,” said Ayling. "We know how hard the league is, we know how hard it is to get out of this league so we have got to take game by game and try and win games. It's a long season so nothing is going to be won in August so we have to keep our heads on it and keep building what we are building now.

"We can't wait for it to start. It's been five hard weeks in pre season to build up to this moment. The friendlies are over now and we are going to really try and start the season well because we know it's a long season but it's good to start well."

Ayling also says there is no doubt that he is going into the new season following something of a personal boost via netting the decisive strike in Sunday’s 1-0 victory at Hearts and quashed any claims that the effort should be classed as an own goal.

The right back stormed forward to support Crysencio Summerville as the Dutch attacker progressed towards the box from the no 10 position, releasing Ayling in on goal. The defender then unleashed a strike across keeper Zander Clark which was heading in and crossed the line via defender Frankie Kent’s attempts to convert.

Asked if he was taking the strike as his, the right back laughed: "Yeah, of course it was on target. I gave the keeper the eyes and slid it in. They finished fourth in their league last year so it was always going to be a good game. They came and sat back and made it hard for us but I think we played really well with the ball. We tried to keep it and tried to play our style and we got a goal and the clean sheet is pleasing."