The Whites have a “hot property” on their hands, with massive interest being expressed. Archie Gray, the Leeds United phenomenon, is now garnering a lot of attention across England.
Gray is, of course, eligible for Scotland, but he presently captains England’s under-16 team.
Gray has been the talk of Elland Road this season, with Marcelo Bielsa taking a shine to him. Despite not yet being seen on the pitch at first-team level, he has made significant progress toward that lofty goal.
Gray, who was only 15 years old at the time, was named to the bench for a 2-1 loss to the Spurs earlier in the season. In recent weeks, he has broken into the under-23s group, scoring a spectacular goal against Manchester United at Elland Road.
Runs in the family
He has a lot to live up to with his family name at the Yorkshire giants, but early indications are that he will handle it in stride.
Archie’s dad Andy featured in two friendly games against Lithuania and New Zealand and had two short spells at Leeds United and was also academy coach at Elland Road.
However, unlike his grandfather Frank and great uncle Eddie, Scotland’s Tartan Army is unlikely to see the latest member of the football family pull on the dark blue.
While eligible to play for Scotland (his father, former Leeds striker Andy, also earned two caps under Berti Vogts), the youngster is enthusiastically representing the Three Lions at juvenile level.
Huge on praises
Leeds United director of football Victor Orta added to the hype when he said: “In five years-time you’ll be talking about this guy non-stop.
“He’s one of those players you see every, I don’t know. I remember Kun Aguero and saying ‘what is this?’. It’s something that happens once in a long time.”
Gray became the youngest scorer in Premier League 2 when he netted a 35-yard screamer against Manchester United.
Marsch and his colleagues must ensure that Gray is one of those who never leaves Elland Road, not now and not in the future.
The 16-year-old represents the club’s future, and he will aspire to follow in the footsteps of his family members and become a West Yorkshire star.
The signing of his first long-term professional deal is approaching, and Leeds must ensure that the terms reflect his enormous promise.
No matter who is sniffing about, Gray must be made unique and given the opportunity to prove his worth.
