Much was expected of Archie Gray when he joined Tottenham Hotspur from Leeds United in the summer of 2024, but things have not gone according to plan for the versatile player.
Gray was one of the best players for Leeds and was a regular in the starting line-up of the West Yorkshire club. Blessed with the ability to play in midfield or at right-back, he made 52 appearances for the Whites in the 2023-24 season. Gray gave two assists in those matches.
So far this season, Gray has made only 16 appearances for Tottenham. The £30 million (BBC Sport) youngster has not scored or provided an assist.
There has been speculation that the 18-year-old could leave on loan. Leeds are among the clubs who are reportedly keen on a deal in the January transfer window.
However, Gray’s performance against Rangers shows that Tottenham have to keep him. The teenager was one of the very few Spurs players who did well at Ibrox in the UEFA Europa League game on Thursday evening.
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou had to play Gray in central defence alongside Radu Dragusin due to injuries to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.
After the match, Postecoglou praised Gray and told Football.London: “He’s 18, it’s a big experience for him. I thought he handled himself really well. We’re asking him to do something that as an 18-year-old in his first year at this level, to play in an unfamiliar position in such big games, I thought it’s outstanding what he’s doing.”
Gray was playing out of position at centre-back, but he still gave a good account of himself. The defender was solid for the most part and was comfortable with the ball at his feet even under tricky circumstances.
According to WhoScored, the defender had a pass accuracy of 87.1%, won two headers and had 79 touches. Gray made one tackle, one interception and two clearances.
While it must be frustrating for Gray not to play week in and week out for Tottenham as he did for Leeds, he should be encouraged by Postecoglou’s comments.
Gray is only 18 now and should bide his time at Tottenham. Spurs themselves should not be eager to send him out on loan in the January transfer window.
The teenager’s ability to play in midfield, right-back or centre-back is a boon to Tottenham, especially given their injury problems at the moment.