Leeds United: Archie Gray likely to be joined by Harry in Elland Road breakthrough – Phil Hay
Harry Gray has a strong chance of joining brother Archie as a Leeds United academy breakthrough into the first team, according to Phil Hay.
The Athletic journalist told the Square Ball on 15 March that the updates behind the scenes at the club are positive for the teenage striker to play in the same side as his midfielder sibling, who has been a sensation under Daniel Farke in his first campaign of senior football this term.
While hopes have long been high for both of the next generation of the Gray family dynasty Hay indicated that it is Harry, three years younger than Archie, who has drawn most attention given the position he plays, and backed him to follow in his elder brother’s footsteps.
He said (14m 35s): “Well, given what’s going on with Harry, and given what people are saying about him, and given what they’ve been saying about him for years, you’d probably put pretty good money on it.
“Remember back before we were talking about them by name and I used to say, ‘There’s some kids in the academy who are doing really well but they’re so young it’s not really appropriate to start bigging them up at this point’? Well it was really Harry more than Archie, even though people thought Archie was excellent, it was Harry more than him that was making waves because of the number of goals that he scored.
“I went up to interview Eddie… back in 2020 and he said to me, ‘I was away watching my great nephew over the weekend’… And I said, ‘Oh how did he get on?’ He said, ‘Oh he scored eight goals.’
“I said, ‘Eight goals?’. And he said, ‘Yeah he just does that every week.’ Bangs them in, five here, six there, and he wasn’t even joking so there’s a really good prospect there.”
Will Archie Gray still be at Leeds United when Harry breaks through?
If Harry can make anything like the impact that Archie has after his first-team breakthrough then the club will benefit hugely.
But since the latter has drawn so much attention already as a regular starter in midfield and at right-back it is potentially not a given that he will still be at Elland Road once his brother graduates.
The likes of Liverpool [Daily Mail, 10 November] and Tottenham [Mail, 8 January] are already interested in signing him, and his recent performance against Chelsea in the FA Cup won’t have done anything to dissuade Premier League suitors.
Thankfully for Farke there is a strong family connection to Leeds United which might keep him in place longer than such a sought-after youngster would stay committed without it.
And the teenager himself is bound to have some ambition to play in the same side as his brother, so the club will hope that opportunity arises sooner or later and continues with success for as long as possible.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are predicted to be at risk of a profit and sustainability breach if they are promoted to the Premier League.
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