Arsenal let Ayling move permanently to current National League side Yeovil Town in the summer of 2010 following a loan spell, after he failed to break through into the first team scene at the Emirates Stadium.
The full-back’s dreams of playing top flight football finally became a reality when he helped Leeds earn promotion from the Championship last season.
Leeds are currently ninth in the league table, a place above Arsenal, and Ayling admits it is good to see his current club doing better this season than his former side.
However, Ayling conceded that Arsenal offloading him made sense at the time as he did not feel that his game was up to the standards they needed then.
Asked whether he feels good that Leeds are currently above his former side Arsenal in the league table, Ayling said on the Super 6 Podcast: “Yes, yes.
“Of course, that was ten years ago when they said I was not good enough, which at the time I can admit then.
“I was nowhere near that level because that was when Arsenal were going for leagues, they were second, third in the league, they were right up there
“So, I was nowhere near it, but it is certainly nice to go back now.
“It is nice toy go back there now, and obviously we are sitting ninth and they are sitting tenth, and it is nice to look down on them a little bit and smile.”
Leeds are determined to finish the current campaign as high as they can and now have five league games remaining to rack up maximum points.
