As Leeds United look to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking in what has so far been one of the most competitive Championship seasons in years, one Elland Road youngster has been turning heads.
Thorp Arch academy prospect Archie Gray became the latest member of the Gray family to turn out for Leeds when he made his first-team debut at the start of the season and the 17-year-old is now attracting national attention after a string of impressive performances.
Here is a closer look at the young Whites prospect.
A background to Archie Gray
The teenager comes from elite footballing stock, with the Gray clan considered the first family of Leeds United. His father Andy came up through the Leeds Academy and enjoyed two stints as a player at Elland Road. Archie is the grandson of Frank Gray who played for the club in the 1970s and 1980s, and is the great-nephew of Eddie Gray, one of the finest players in the club’s history, who also went on to manage the team.
Archie’s Leeds journey began with the academy at under-nine level and he would quickly progress through the Thorp Arch set-up. His first taste of senior football came in December 2021, when he was named as a substitute for the Premier League clash against Arsenal at the age of 15.
Gray’s senior debut came at the start of the 2023/24 season and he has been a regular fixture in Daniel Farke’s promotion-chasing starting XI so far.
What position does Gray play?
Gray came up through the ranks primarily as a central midfielder, but has predominantly featured as a right-back under Farke this season.
What kind of player is Gray?
The fact that Gray has already proven he can excel in two different positions at the age of 17 is very telling. The teenager combines a lightning-fast footballing brain with a maturity and composure that are well beyond his years.
Technically superb, Gray’s close control will see him escape from tight areas with ease. He is able to launch attacks, whether that is by either carrying the ball forward or through his superb passing range and has the makings of a genuine box-to-box talent.
His recent time at right-back has shown he can also excel defensively in 1-v-1s, while his Leeds heritage is evident in his controlled aggression and tackling ability.
Leeds’ Championship campaign is giving him an excellent grounding, with the teenager taking the gruelling and physical nature of the division in his stride. Encouragingly for Leeds, he did not miss a beat when stepping up in quality, earning himself a man of the match award during the FA Cup defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
What have people said about him?
Former Leeds director of football Victor Orta was the first club figure to break cover and tell the world what kind of talent they had on their hands.
"I remember seeing (Sergio) Kun Aguero for the first time and saying 'Who is this?’”, he said in 2021. “It’s happened only a few times to me but Archie gives me the same feeling."
Gray’s current boss Farke has also been left impressed this season.
"I was a bit more careful in my judgement at the beginning of the season because you can't just rely on a 17-year-old as a cornerstone of your team," he said before the Chelsea cup tie.
"You can't really predict how it will work out in terms of his body, how he can handle the load, especially in the Championship with such a tough, physical league. But he's doing excellently. My concerns I had at the beginning of the season have eased up a lot."
What next for Gray?
It should come as no surprise that when any young player puts in the kind of performances that Gray has done this season, other clubs will be keeping a close eye on him. Various media reports have linked Premier League leaders Liverpool with the England youth international, but Leeds moved to counter this by handing Gray a new long-term contract at Elland Road in January.
Gray is contracted at Leeds until 2028 and if the club is able to win promotion back to the Premier League, then they will be much better placed to turn down any lucrative offers. Should Leeds fail to go back up, then Gray’s suitors will likely feel emboldened and hope that financial realities will trump Gray’s family ties in West Yorkshire.
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