Luke Ayling, born on 25 August 1991 (age 35), is an English right-back with Middlesbrough, where he wears the number 12 shirt. He has built his career as a first-team defender rather than a headline act, which is no bad thing for a player in that position.
His most productive league season came at Bristol City in 2014-15, when he scored four times in 46 appearances. That was the sort of full-season workload that says more than the goals do: regular, trusted, and rarely treated as an optional extra.
At Middlesbrough in 2026-27, Ayling has made seven Championship appearances, along with outings in the FA Cup, League Cup and Championship play-offs, taking him to 14 appearances for the club in all competitions. His current market value is around £298,000, according to Transfermarkt.
Ayling’s career has been shaped by steady service at right-back, with Bristol City providing his strongest attacking season and Middlesbrough now the latest stage of a long senior career.
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