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Leeds United: Scot Gemmill shares what dad of Archie Gray told him about Elland Road speculation
Scotland Under-21s boss Scot Gemmill has spoken to the father of Archie Gray amid speculation regarding the Leeds United youngster’s future.
Gray has enjoyed a hugely impressive breakthrough campaign at Elland Road, earning him strong links with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund [TEAMtalk].
The 17-year-old is currently representing England at age-grade level, but he qualifies for Scotland through his father Andy, who previously played alongside Gemmill and was twice capped by Scotland.
Asked if there is interest in persuading the latest member of the Gray clan to represent Scotland, Gemmill is quoted by the Daily Record [16 November] as saying: “His father was an ex-teammate of mine at Nottingham Forest and I bumped into him recently at a game.
“So I obviously spoke to him and he explained his son’s situation to me. Of course he is a really good player. To my knowledge, he has come through the England pathway.
“His dad knows there is an interest from us. It’s one of these situations and we have to respect whatever decision he makes.”
Family connection
Gray is undoubtedly on a pathway to the England senior squad in the not-too-distant future, albeit as a central midfielder and not at right-back, where the Three Lions are well stocked for years to come.
The 17-year-old was this week promoted from the Under-19s squad to the Elite Squad – formerly the U20s – meaning he is playing with players three years older than him.
However, the youngster may well want to represent Scotland, as was the case for dad Andy, grandfather Frank and great uncle Eddie. It really does come down to personal preference and just how much connection he has to Scotland.
While he may still be just 17, the nature of international football means Gray only has a couple more years – realistically speaking – to make a decision on who he represents for the rest of his international career.
Indeed, if he continues the way he is, you would not be all that surprised to see Scotland potentially propelling Gray all the way to the U21s as early as next year as a way of tempting him to make the switch.
At the end of the day, it is entirely up to Gray who he represents. All Leeds fans really care about is that he stays at Elland Road for many more years to come.
In other Leeds United news, a journalist claims the Whites had no chance of keeping hold of one of their soon-to-depart players.