Leeds United defender Kyle Bartley admits that he didn’t expect to be playing alongside Luke Ayling again so soon after the duo left Arsenal a few years ago.
The defensive duo are products of the Arsenal academy but found the exit door at the Emirates around the same time without leaving too much of an impression on Arsene Wenger’s men.
Their careers took different paths, but the Arsenal academy duo were again reunited at Leeds United last summer when Garry Monk decided to bring them in at Elland Road.
Bartley has conceded that he didn’t expect to be playing alongside his fellow Arsenal academy graduate this early in his career, but admits it has been fun to again line up in the same team as Ayling at Elland Road.
Answering a fan’s question on Twitter, Bartley said on LUTV: “We always joked about it and thought that when we were further down our careers that we could all play together.
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“But we didn’t know it could happen so soon and it has been great.
“I feel very comfortable playing alongside him and it’s been brilliant.”
Bartley and Ayling are part of a Leeds United defensive set-up which has earned huge praise for keeping Monk’s men in the hunt for a top six position this season.
