Young Leeds United ace declares impressive aim and ponders question on Whites position

Seventeen-year-old Gray was only handed his Whites first team debut when starting this season’s Championship opener at home to Cardiff City but the midfielder has since quickly amassed another five starts plus two outings from the bench.

The teen was brought on as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s 3-1 loss at Southampton, ahead of which Gray declared his intent to be the fittest player at boss Daniel Farke’s disposal whom the teen has hailed for helping to develop his game.

Speaking in an LUTV interview with Whites legend great uncle Eddie Gray, the midfielder was asked about running exercises and said: “My dad makes me run a lot, especially in pre-season. I always try to make sure that I am the fittest when I come back in all the running just because it gives a good example to the manager and his staff and the players. It just shows like I am ready for the season."

Gray has already been used in different midfield roles by Whites boss Farke, the teen playing predominantly alongside Ethan Ampadu as a centre midfielder but also deployed as a no 10 in the Carabao Cup clash at home to Shrewsbury Town.

Pressed on what he had learned so far and how he thought his midfield position might evolve, Gray reasoned: “I think the positioning especially. You don't appreciate how important positioning is to where you are when you are playing in midfield because if you are half a yard this way it can make such a massive difference to being half a yard that way.

"The manager helped me with stuff like this, small movements before you get the ball, just to create a half yard of space so you have got that extra half a second just makes the difference, just small little details like that.”

Gray added: "He (Farke) helps me out a lot, especially on the training pitch, like small little details about positioning, everything, he helps me so much on the training pitch and I am really grateful for it."