Ling began his career at
Leyton Orient, progressing through the O's academy to become Youth Team captain and also featured on the bench for the first-team a number of times. He moved to
Dagenham & Redbridge in 2016. On 7 February 2018, he returned to fellow National League and former club Leyton Orient for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. His father, Martin, was also director of football at Orient. He made his long-awaited debut for the club on 17 February, coming on as a substitute in the second-half against
Chester. He had been an ever-present in the side since promotion and their return to the
English Football League. Daggers boss,
Daryl McMahon, spoke of his acquisition, "He obviously comes from a good footballing family, with his dad Martin. I've known Sam since he was about five or six, from when I played for Martin at Leyton Orient. He's been at the football club before and did really well here, so we know what we're getting." ==Personal life==