Why Harry Kane is living proof Leeds United have right strategy with Harry Gray

Harry Gray's loan move to Sheffield Wednesday has raised a few eyebrows among the Leeds United fanbase.

Not many supporters would disagree with the decision to let the prodigious teenager go and get more first-team opportunities.

But, there are those who felt that Gray might have been heading for a season in the Championship.

The 17-year-old has proven he has nothing really left to gain in development football.

And he scored three goals in 20 appearances in League One for Rotherham United, in a campaign that ended in relegation with the Millers.

However, in reality you have to say Leeds are taking the strategy, and England captain Harry Kane is real life proof.

Harry Gray, what's the rush?

Yorkshire Evening Post writer Graham Smyth summed things up pretty well on X on Wednesday.

When asked why Gray wasn't playing in Leeds' first team if he's that highly thought of, Smyth merely replied: "What's the rush?"

And therein lies the crucial point here.

There are extremely high hopes for Gray at Elland Road, but time is on his side.

Kane was 17 when he first played in League One on loan at Leyton Orient, and was 18-and-a-half by the first time of his Championship loan spell with Millwall.

Moreover, he had a couple of other temporary stints with Norwich City and Leicester City before becoming the world-class talent he turned into at Tottenham.

Whether Gray can truly emulate the career Kane is having with Bayern Munich and England is impossible to answer.

But Leeds' strategy is perfectly fine, and there are plentiful reasons why the Wednesday move makes sense.

Why did Leeds choose Sheffield Wednesday for Gray?

There is not a great deal of love lost between Yorkshire rivals Leeds and Wednesday.

But, the reality is Wednesday's situation could be perfect for Gray to continue his footballing education next season.

The Owls are in complete rebuild mode after Arise Capital, a consortium led by American David Storch, took over the club.

Previous owner Dejphon Chansiri left Wednesday on the brink of total collapse, and their relegation to the third tier was essentially confirmed beore a ball had been kicked last season.

Next season, though, the expectation is to be challenging at the top end of the table, and over 24,000 season tickets have been sold to an expectant fanbase.

Gray will get first-hand experience of playing in front of large, demanding crowds, and should hopefully be part of a team not struggling at the bottom end of the table.

For all parties, it is a loan move that makes complete sense. Simply, there is no rush.