Thorp Arch academy prospect Archie Gray became the latest member of the Gray family to turn out for Leeds United when he made his first-team debut at the start of the season.
The 17-year-old is now attracting national attention after a string of impressive performances, especially in Leeds’ recent venture in the FA Cup against Chelsea.
Encouragingly for Leeds, he did not miss a beat when stepping up in quality against the men in blue. “I can’t believe he’s 17”, former Arsenal right-back Lee Dixon enthused on ITV. “He just has that look about him that he’s played 300 games!”
The fact it was Gray who picked up the Player of the Match award, and not any player from the winning team, nor the scorer of both Leeds’ goals, told us everything about his performance.
Let’s take a closer look at the promising young Whites prospect who has everyone talking.
Who is Archie Gray?
Born in March 2006, Archie Gray comes from elite footballing stock, with the Gray clan considered the first family heritage of Leeds United.
He is the fourth Gray across three generations to represent the club, with his father, Andy Gray, having come 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 he 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 brother, Harry Gray, is also currently associated with Leeds’ youth academy. So, you know where all that talent comes from.
AMAZING SCENES AT LEEDS. Elland Road erupts after Archie Gray scores 83' winner for 2nd-place Leeds against 1st-place Leicester. Goal was 1st-ever for 17yo, whose father, grandfather & great uncle all played for Leeds. Imagine not loving football. 😍pic.twitter.com/y8oLhIDTun
Archie admitted in a recent interview with Eddie on Leeds’ Youtube channel how much his family has inspired him, “I always had to live up to [the family name]. But my grandad, you (Eddie) and especially my Dad have been very good with me.”
Born in Durham, Gray joined Leeds United at the under-9 level. He progressed rapidly through the academy.
Such was Gray’s advancement that Leeds United and his school, St John Fisher Catholic High School in Harrogate, had to negotiate for Gray to miss classes in order to train with the first team, at the request of then-manager Marcelo Bielsa.
Archie’s Leeds journey began with the academy at the under-nine level, and he quickly progressed 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.
The midfielder has participated in 37 games for the youth teams, scoring in 5 of them and assisting on 7 occasions. The midfielder boasts an impressive record in youth competitions, featuring in 37 matches, finding the net in 5 instances, and providing 7 assists along the way.
Archie Gray made history by becoming Leeds’ youngest-ever player to feature in a senior matchday squad at the age of 15.
His senior debut came at the onset of the 2023/24 season, and since then, he has become a consistent name in Daniel Farke’s starting lineup. Gray has appeared in 37 matches for the team, contributing with one goal and two assists thus far.
Gray came up through the ranks primarily as a central defensive midfielder, but the 1.87m Englishman has predominantly featured as a right-back under Farke this season.
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,” the Spaniard told La Media Inglesa.
Gray’s current boss Daniel 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.”
Archie Gray has also expressed his admiration for his manager.
“The manager has helped me a lot,” he told his club’s official website. “Especially with positioning and little things with what foot to pass to and what foot to receive with. And with the right-back position, he’s helped me loads. I think my game has developed a lot.”
Archie Gray’s Salary contractual details
Archie Gray inked his first professional contract with the club just last year, securing a two-and-a-half-year deal that binds him to Elland Road until the summer of 2025.
But 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. Liverpool, in particular, have been rumored to have their sights set on acquiring the rising star since last November.
Initially, discussions suggested that Leeds United placed a valuation of £40-£50 million on the 17-year-old prodigy.
But Leeds moved swiftly to counter this by handing Gray a new long-term contract at Elland Road in January. In January 2024, Leeds United midfielder signed a new long-term contract that will keep him at the club until 2028.
In terms of his yearly salary, as outlined by Capology, Archie Gray, who serves as a central midfielder for Leeds United, receives £5,000 on a weekly basis, equating to an annual income of £260,000. Gray is contracted for an additional five years, with £1,300,000 left to be paid out under the terms of his agreement.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will reignite their interest in the prodigy during the summer transfer window. The entire negotiation process will be overseen by Gray’s agent, Hayden Evans.
However, according to Archie Gray’s agent, the jersey number 22 is not considering a move as of yet.
In the Athletic’s Phil Hay Show podcast, he revealed “He’s committed his immediate future to Leeds and there was a lot of genuine interest from much bigger clubs frankly and clubs on the continent, But Leeds is where he wants to be it’s as simple as that.”
Archie Gray FC 24 ratings
While it’s uncertain whether Liverpool fans will see him in their squad list next season, you should certainly consider adding him to your FC 24 squad. Despite his current rating of 71, Gray’s potential in the game is an impressive 85.
Archie Gray in FC 24 has 2 Skill moves and 4 Weak Foot. He is right-footed and has High/High work rates. In the game, his value is €4 million, with a modest weekly wage of just €1.1K.
Moreover, in FM 24, the midfielder is rated at a decent 73. His value is set at £16 million with a weekly wage of £1K, and he has a “Much Room to Grow” potential under the scout reports.
And rightfully so, as only the sky is the limit for this 17 year old midfielder.
In an interview with The Guardian, Gray disclosed his childhood aspirations, stating,: “My childhood dream was to win the Champions League with Leeds, captain England at senior level and win a Ballon d’Or.”
That dream has a long way to go. However, there are promising signs for the future.
