Archie Gray is undoubtedly the best youngster Leeds United have produced in many years.
In his breakthrough campaign at Elland Road, Gray has established himself as a key player in the first team, winning the Championship’s YPOTS and EFL Apprentice of the Year.
The 18-year-old has even managed to do that over two different positions, starting and ending the season in his favoured central midfield role, while playing the bulk of the season as a right-back.
His great uncle Eddie Gray believes midfield is undoubtedly his best position and manager Daniel Farke would tend to go agree, though did name some areas for improvement in his press conference yesterday.
Gray is now very much the yardstick and inspiration for all of Leeds’ youngsters currently plying their trade in the academy, and hopefully it won’t be long before another makes the step up.
Gray says Charlie Crew and brother Harry will make Leeds step up soon
Prior to Gray’s emergence, Leeds’ academy had been going through somewhat of a dry spell. Though key man Crysencio Summerville spent a couple of seasons in the U23s, the bulk of his football upbringing was in Netherlands.
Leeds haven’t really had anyone breakthrough directly from the academy since Jamie Shackleton and Jack Clarke did so under Marcelo Bielsa, all the way back in the 2018/19 season.
But there are a number of youngsters who Leeds are already getting excited about, and in an interview with Football Manager at the EFL awards, Gray has named two he thinks will make the step up.
He believes Charlie Crew and his brother Harry Gray are two players who are already knocking on the door, that could soon be following him into the first team.
“Yeah there’s definitely loads. Charlie Crew has been training with us for a few weeks and is a really good player. Then there is my brother [Harry Gray] as well. He’s obviously really good but I don’t want to give him too much praise because he’s my brother and I shouldn’t be doing that. But yeah, I’d go with Charlie Crew.”
Crew and [Harry] Gray both have enormous potential at Leeds
Though he has not yet been handed his first team debut, central midfielder Crew is already someone who has been involved in some matchday squads recently.
He was on the bench against both Watford and Hull City over the Easter weekend, with Farke stating publicly he is a player with massive potential.
At just 17, Crew has also already trained with Wales’ senior side and left Ethan Ampadu impressed with how he performed.
Gray, meanwhile, is still actually two years younger than Crew at 15, but brother Archie has already spoken about how it is his dream to play alongside him at Leeds.
He is a striker that has been banging in goals for fun at youth level, with great uncle Eddie suggesting it was not uncommon for him to score seven in a single match.