05
Aug
Former Leeds United star opens football academy in Knaresborough
This article is free to read. Help support independent local journalism for as little as 14p per day by subscribing to the Stray Ferret. You can get started here.
A former Leeds United footballer is launching a new football academy in Knaresborough.
Luke Ayling, 33, who currently plays for Middlesbrough, has set up the Luke Ayling Football Academy to “pave the pathway for aspiring young footballers to reach their full potential on and off the pitch”.
The academy, which aims to provide top-level coaching for children in the area, will be officially launched at 1pm on Saturday, September 6, at King James's School.
The academy offers tailored coaching programmes for individuals and small group training sessions. It says that individual player development “is at the core of everything we do”.
Ayling said:
I’m incredibly grateful to be in a position where I can open my own football academy to share my passion for the game and create opportunities for children and young people to access top-quality coaching on their doorstep.
Having spent a large part of my playing career in Yorkshire, this is where I now call home. It’s only fitting that I start my Academy in a place that has given me so much support and many good times during my career.
My motivation is to use football to engage and inspire young footballers of all abilities in my local community.
My ambition is that LA Academy becomes a real hub for talent, providing a creative, nurturing and positive environment that enables players to maximise their potential on and off the pitch.
(L to R) Stuart Dallas, Liam Cooper, Luke Ayling and Mateusz Klich.
Luke Ayling started his career in the Arsenal academy aged eight. In 2010, a year after signing his first professional contract, he moved to Yeovil Town, where he spent four years before moving to Bristol City.
Transferring to Leeds United in 2016, he spent eight years at the club before moving to Middlesbrough in 2024. Ayling was a key part of Marcelo Bielsa’s Championship-winning Leeds United side in 2020.
To join a free taster session on the academy’s launch day, click here and complete the form on the academy's website. Limited places are available.
For more information, visit its Instagram page here, or its website here.
0