Mateusz Klich pays tribute to departing Luke Ayling with simple but heartfelt message — YEP 10/1/24
Former Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Klich has displayed his appreciation for Luke Ayling’s efforts at Elland Road with a simple message on social media.
By Joe Donnohue
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.
