Luke Ayling joked that Thierry Henry single-handedly ended his Arsenal career while admitting he was left "hurt" following his emotional Leeds United exit.

The 33-year-old progressed through the academy of the north London club and remained there for a decade. In July 2009, Ayling penned his maiden professional contract after his standout performances in Arsenal's double-winning youth squad during the 2008/09 campaign.

At just 16, he received a harsh introduction to senior football when tasked with marking the legendary Henry during a training session. Reflecting on the daunting challenge he faced, he revealed to Joe Wilkinson on the My Mate's A Footballer podcast: "I trained with Henry.

"The first training session, I was about 16. He absolutely destroyed me in that first training

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