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Isaac Johnson

Luke Ayling admits he hadn’t heard of Jesse Marsch prior to Leeds United appointment

Leeds fan-favourite Luke Ayling had revealed that he had never heard of Jesse Marsch prior to his arrival at Elland Road in an honest admission.

The defender has been a mainstay for the Whites since his move from Bristol City in 2016, becoming a real leader on the pitch. Ayling suffered a knee injury earlier in the season but after coming back has, more often than not, taken the captain’s armband with Liam Cooper being sidelined with a long-term injury.

He scored his first goal under Marsch in the dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Wolves just before the international break. The American manager has guided the Whites to back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since the first two games of 2022.

READ MORE: Patrick Bamford reveals reasons behind his injury struggles after Wolves setback

But Ayling admitted he had not heard of his new boss before his appointment, albeit put this down to his lack of interest in European leagues outside of England. He told the Daily Star: “No. I can’t say I did know him. I'm not massive on football outside of England, if I'm telling the truth.

“But once you hear he's going to be involved, you take a look at the clubs he's been at. He's worked his way through the Red Bull scheme, so they think highly of him. He obviously knows what he's doing."

Marsch won two Austrian titles with former club Red Bull Salzburg, completing the double-double by winning both league and cup in the previous two seasons. His team held PSG to a 2-2 draw in the Champions League in November albeit lost to the French giants, Manchester City and Belgian side Club Brugge in other group games prior to his mutual-consent exit in December.

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