Luke Ayling on satisfaction after Philippe Coutinho battle and Leeds United swing at Aston Villa - YEP 10/2/22
By Lee Sobot
Nor, initially, was it the defender's idea of fun.
Yet in the end, Leeds United's stand-in captain gave the
thumbs up to his latest demanding assignment - and ultimately wouldn't have it
any other way.
For Ayling, Wednesday night's Premier League clash at Aston
Villa was another strong reminder of the dramatically changed landscape in the
30-year-old's career.
Back in February 2015, the defender was stepping out in
League One against the likes of Colchester United, Rochdale and Port Vale.
Seven years on, the right back was captaining Leeds United
in the Premier League facing Aston Villa's Barcelona loanee and Brazilian star
Philippe Coutinho.
For Leeds and Ayling, it all began rather well, Dan James
firing Marcelo Bielsa's side into a ninth-minute lead.
Thirty-four minutes later, the picture looked rather
different, Coutinho turning on the style and drawing Villa level before twice
setting up Jacob Ramsey to put Steven Gerrard' s hosts 3-1 up.
Ayling, though, and Leeds as a whole, stuck to their task,
so much so that by ten o'clock on Wednesday evening the Whites were leaving
with a point.
Coutinho had even been taken off with 12 minutes left, boss
Steven Gerrard revealing that 78 minutes
of action against Bielsa's side had
taken its toll on the January recruit who is not yet at his peak physical
condition.
Even so, Ayling found himself facing a player at the peak of
the attacking game.
But that, says Ayling, is all part of the learning curve,
the Whites vice-skipper relishing the continuing demands of facing the game's
best, just seven years after playing in League One.
Speaking post match on BT Sport and asked if it was fun
facing Coutinho in the first half was fun, Ayling admitted: "No. It wasn't
fun.
"I have worked hard to get here so it's always good
when you come up against players like that.
"It's a great learning curve for me.
"It's tough when we play how we played, we are very man
for man and to be left in there alone is tough at times but I have done it
before and I stuck to my task and I thought I have done all right as the game
went on."
Coutinho ultimately ended the night with two assists and a
goal but by 78 minutes his night was done.
"It was just a bit of tiredness," said Villa boss
Gerrard, as quoted by Birmingham Live.
"He had a bit of cramp in a few areas. We're still
working on his physical condition. We're still trying to improve that. He's
getting better and better, and stronger.
"That was just precaution with cramp. He was running
out of energy. He gave a lot to the game like a lot of the players did."
Facing Leeds, they had to, and Ayling was left saluting a
good point against an improving side under Gerrard and hailing United's spirit
in fighting back from 3-1 down.
United hit back from Ramsey's second strike as James doubled
his tally in first-half stoppage time and Diego Llorente's strike from a
63rd-minute corner ensured an enthralling contest ended all square.
Ayling felt James' strike proved a game-changer and
reasoned: "We started the game quite well and then we conceded three
sloppy goals where we were just way too open and then we showed some great
character to come back into it and I think that shows what spirit we have got
in the dressing room.
"It's been a tough season so far so it was great spirit
to come back into it and get a good point really because they have signed some
good players and they are going to be a good team and it' a good point in the
end.
"That goal right before half-time changes the game.
"I think if we go in at 3-1 it is a bit of a hard task
to get back into it in the second half but we always try to win games and we
carry on playing how we have been playing.
"I thought we earned the point in the end.
"I felt like we played well in the second half and
really played in their half a lot more and stopped the counter attacks and
probably a point is a good result."
