Luke Ayling provides lowdown on Raphinha from new Leeds United winger's displays in training

LUKE Ayling says Leeds United have a good player on their hands in Raphinha who has already netted good goals in training - though not as good as his.
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Leeds moved to sign Brazilian winger Raphinha on the final day of the international transfer window with the 23-year-old joining from French side Rennes for a fee of around £17m.

The new recruit has since settled in to life at Leeds and training with right-back Ayling coming up against the Brazilian in one of Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa's famous intense 'murderball' sessions where the ball is continually thrown back into play.

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Ayling has been impressed with what he has seen and Raphinha is now set to meet the rest of his United team mates with Leeds having had nine senior players on international duty during the October break.

'SHARP': Leeds United's new Brazilian winger Raphinha has been impressing in training says Whites right back Luke Ayling. Picture by LUFC.'SHARP': Leeds United's new Brazilian winger Raphinha has been impressing in training says Whites right back Luke Ayling. Picture by LUFC.
'SHARP': Leeds United's new Brazilian winger Raphinha has been impressing in training says Whites right back Luke Ayling. Picture by LUFC.

Ayling says Raphinha has already netted some impressive goals in training - though joked that nothing could compare to the scorching volley he bagged back in March which preluded a carbon copy strike when it mattered most in the 2-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town.

"He's sharp, he's very sharp," said Ayling, asked what Raphinha had been like in training by BBC Radio Leeds.

"He's scored a few good goals already in training and he's set up a few.

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"We did a murderball and I was playing against him and he had some very good touches, very quick, very sharp and so it looks like we have got a good player on our hands.

UNBEATABLE: Leeds United right back Luke Ayling's stunning volley in the 2-0 win against Huddersfield Town in March which came after the defender netted an identical strike in training. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images.UNBEATABLE: Leeds United right back Luke Ayling's stunning volley in the 2-0 win against Huddersfield Town in March which came after the defender netted an identical strike in training. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images.
UNBEATABLE: Leeds United right back Luke Ayling's stunning volley in the 2-0 win against Huddersfield Town in March which came after the defender netted an identical strike in training. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images.

"He's come straight in, he's fitted straight in with the boys and Helder Costa has taken him under his wing a bit because they both speak Portuguese and everything.

"I think we have got a good player on our hands.

"He has come in and done really well for the first week that he has been here.

"Obviously he has not met the other lads but we will get back together and it will be exciting."

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Asked if Raphinha's goals in training had been even better than his effort, Ayling laughed: "No, of course not.

"But that's not a very good goal, that's an amazing goal."

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Thank you Laura Collins