Leeds United have announced that they have exercised the option to extend Luke Ayling's contract by a further 12 months.

The 31-year-old vice-captain was initially facing an uncertain future at the club as his original deal was due to expire at the end of the season.

However, the West Yorkshire side have decided to trigger a one-year extension in his contract, keeping him tied to Elland Road until the summer of 2024.

Speaking to the club's official website on his new deal, Ayling said: "All my focus is on Leeds United staying in the Premier League this season, but it goes without saying that I love this football club and I am delighted to extend my stay into next year.

"I want to thank our fans for their continued support as well as my teammates and everyone connected with the club."

Director of football Victor Orta added: "Luke fully deserves his extension, he remains a key member of the team and his impact off the field is immeasurable.

"Luke is a leader, as well as being a top Premier League footballer."

Ayling joined Leeds from Bristol City for around £200,000 in the summer of 2016, and he has since made a total of 237 appearances across all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing 20 assists.

The defender has established himself an influential leader with the Whites and was a member of the squad that secured promotion to the Premier League in the Championship title-winning 2019-20 season.

Ayling's game time has reduced since the arrival of Rasmus Kristensen, but he has still managed to feature 17 times in all tournaments so far this season, including eight Premier League starts.

The Lambeth-born defender will be hoping to force his way into Michael Skubala's starting lineup when Leeds travel to Goodison Park to face Everton in a relegation battle on Saturday. body check tags ::