Leeds United defender Luke Ayling has recently returned to the side following injury, featuring in the last six games for the Whites.

Speaking to the official matchday programme, the right-back talked about the season so far, his comeback from injury and his aims for the rest of the campaign .

How have you found working under Marcelo Bielsa, what is he like on the training pitch with you all?

“He is a very clever man.  He doesn’t talk a lot, but if he does call you in and talk then everyone listens.  He is a deep thinker, people around the football world know how good he is and I think that has shown this year.”

It must be great for you as player to be working under someone like this as well?

“Yes, I don’t think us as players in the Championship ever thought we would get a chance to work with a manager like this, who has worked at the top.  The club have shown faith in him, they have gone out and got such a good manager and us as players are learning so much from him.  Hopefully everything works out in the end.”

You suffered your injury against Nottingham Forest back in October, how frustrating was it?

“Yes, 2018 was really stop-start for me.  I got injured on January 1^st against Forest as well and pretty much missed the whole back end of last season.  I came back for pre-season feeling really fit, really good at the start of the season and I felt my form was really good.  I was really enjoying my football and getting forward and it was a real set-back being out for eight weeks.  It dragged a little bit and it was hard having that again after the four months out.  I’d never really been injured before that, so it was frustrating, but I worked hard to get back before my due date.  I got back in probably at a bad time, but for me I was just buzzing to be back- the four games in nine days were tough, but I got through them and now we are back to Saturday-Saturday and hopefully we can kick on again.”

There have been quite a few injuries this season, but how good have the medical team been with you and the rest of the players to get you back?

“I know from the outside it looks like we’ve got a lot of injuries, but they have all been really freak injuries.  The medical staff here work so hard to get you back and I think you have seen with everyone there is a due date for players to be back by, but I think every single one of us has comeback before that.  Everyone who works in the medical department has done really well and we’ve all been pushed really hard.  They’ve certainly earned their money this year and they are all great members of staff.”

What is it like having that support behind you?

“From when I first came, more and more supporters have been coming every week and it is a sell out every week now.  It’s truly amazing how the fans back us here and the players feel that. Hopefully we can go on another good run now.”

Finally, you’re at the top of the league right now.  There is still a long way to go, but if you could go on and achieve promotion what would it mean to you?

“It has always been a dream of everyone’s in the dressing room here to play in the Premier League.  It is still very early though, we still have four months to go and nearly every team to play again.  We just need to take it game by game, but hopefully we can do something special come the end of it.”

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