Middlesbrough: Luke Ayling, Jonny Howson drop hints on plans for long-term future | OneFootball

Middlesbrough duo Luke Ayling and Jonny Howson have been discussing their plans after football on Boro's new podcast, 'Yer Joking Aren't Ya?'.

Middlesbrough duo Jonny Howson and Luke Ayling have both revealed that they wish to pursue a career in management once they hang up their boots.

Howson (36) and Ayling (33) are both in the twilight years of their respective playing careers, which has seen the pair enjoy multiple seasons in the Premier League, and many campaigns up and down the EFL.

Michael Carrick evidently still believes they have a lot to offer his Middlesbrough side this year, with Ayling still operating as his first-choice right-back, whilst Howson remains a valuable piece of squad depth in the middle of the park.

However, with the evergreen central midfielder and club captain out of contract at the end of the season, and the former Leeds United stalwart Ayling only contracted until the summer of 2026, both veterans have one eye on their futures after their playing days are over.

Middlesbrough have released a brand new podcast called, 'Yer Joking Aren't Ya?', hosted by former Boro icons David Wheater and Craig Hignett, with Howson and Ayling joining those two for the debut episode.

The quartet discussed a variety of topics during the episode, one of which being what their future plans are for when they retire. In response, the two current Middlesbrough stars revealed that coaching is the path they would both like to go down.

Speaking on the podcast in response to Hignett's question regarding whether they have one eye on what comes after football, Ayling said: "Yeah, definitely once you hit 30 and you start tapering down, you definitely look towards what the future holds.

"I vary, I feel like I want to stay in football and do coaching, do management. I just think I'd miss the Saturday, three o'clock. I feel like, because I've got friends outside of football that I can go and have the banter and stuff, but I think it's that Saturday three o'clock that I would miss the most.

"So, I feel like that's something that I would want to do. Then there's so many opportunities outside of football now. There's media stuff, scouting roles, there's so much to do.

"I haven't labeled like, 'this is what I want to do', but I think management, coaching is something that I want to do. I've been lucky enough to work with some really good managers, and see different styles of playing, and I just feel like I would want to give that a go."

"That's probably the route I'm going to try and go down"

Hignett then posed the same question to Howson, to which the Middlesbrough midfielder revealed that he's already down the line in regard to his coaching future.

Howson said: "Yeah course I have. Like Bill (Ayling's nickname) said, once you get over 30, I think you've got to think about it.

"I'm just doing a (UEFA) B Licence now, a few of us was on it last year, I think there was 12 of us. So I'm doing that, and that's probably the route I'm going to try and go down."

If their attributes as players are anything to go by, then both Howson and Ayling would surely have some excellent traits to take into coaching. Leadership, calm under pressure, pragmatic, and both have had long and successful careers in the game dealing with all types of managers, coaches and teammates too.

With Howson out of contract at the end of the season, and having moved into more of a rotational role so far this season, 2024/25 could well be his farewell tour.

But having seen former Boro players such as Lee Cattermole, and current Middlesbrough first-team coach Grant Leadbitter take some of their first steps in coaching with the club, Howson would seem like a perfect fit to follow that same pathway on Teesside.