Archie Gray makes a HUGE admission ahead of Tottenham clash vs Ferencvaros in Europa League.
Archie Gray believes all the game time he was given at Leeds United last season has helped him become more “strong and robust” for Tottenham.
Gray joined Ange Postecoglou’s side in the summer for a fee worth around £40 million, in what was a necessary evil for the Whites to pass the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability regulations [Graham Smyth, 1 July].
The midfielder has had a decent season for Spurs thus far and has played five games in both centre-midfield and right-back.
Speaking to BBC Radio London (2 October) ahead of Tottenham’s Europa League clash with Ferencvaros on Thursday (3 October), Gray shared his gratefulness to Leeds for the game time he was given while at Elland Road.
“I don’t think too much has changed [since moving from Leeds], it’s just learning the roles of a different team and manager,” he said.
“Once you’ve learned that it’s quite the same, trying to do as much as you can on the pitch.
“The amount of games [in the Championship] has helped me with being robust and being strong with my body. I can play as many games as possible and I back myself to do that.
“I’m grateful for the season that I had last year, it helped me a lot and I can take that into this year”.
Archie Gray saved Leeds United
There’s no denying that Gray was one of Daniel Farke’s best players last term.
The 18-year-old’s versatility along with his maturity beyond his years all helped contribute to what was a stellar campaign for the Leeds academy graduate.
As it was only his first senior season with the club, many expected the youngster to stay with Farke for the 2024/25 season but instead, he rescued the club.
As aforementioned, Leeds were close to their PSR limits [The Athletic, 3 September] before Gray’s sale and if it wasn’t for him, the club would’ve likely found themselves in a rather sticky situation.
Not only did his sale help keep the club afloat but it also helped them focus on other key areas of the squad that needed bolstering.
There’s still plenty of time left in the season of course but for now, at least, it feels as if Gray has had a strong start to life in London and looks to be on an upward trajectory.
