Ange Postecoglou lauds 'intelligent' Archie Gray as £40m Leeds United exit makes positive early impression
Leeds United’s £40m summer exit is wasting no time in making his mark at Tottenham.
Ange Postecoglou praised the ‘intelligent’ Archie Gray after watching the former Leeds United star put in an assured performance at centre-back during Wednesday’s pre-season friendly win over Heart of Midlothian.
Gray was deployed in the unusual role for the opening 45 minutes of a 5-1 win at Tynecastle, marshalling the defence alongside fellow central midfielder - and reported Leeds target - Oliver Skipp. But the 18-year-old took to the challenge in the same way as his season-long foray at right-back under Daniel Farke, barely putting a foot wrong and catching the eye of watching Tottenham fans.
The £40m summer signing consistently found himself well-placed to jump in and win possession high up the pitch, then showing the composure to pick a smart pass forward. He even dealt well with the physical aspect of defending, winning headers and duels with one tackle even puncturing the ball.
A major reason for Tottenham’s interest in Gray was his versatility but few expected the teenager to look so comfortable in a position he’d never played before, as part of a completely new team - albeit in an early-summer friendly. And Postecoglou was evidently pleased with what he saw from the Whites academy graduate.
“Archie did well,” Postecoglou told Tottenham’s website after the win. “He, Skippy [Oliver Skipp] and Jamie [Donley] probably weren’t expected to be starting in our back four, but that’s okay. It’s for guys like Archie to get accustomed to how we play, how we train and he’s an intelligent kid and coped with that okay today. It’s about letting him and Lucas [Bergvall] settle into things.
“But I thought Archie was really good today. He did the things we know he can do well, and he’s adapting to the intensity and tempo of what we do. Lucas the same. They’re both really good kids. They’ve come here with the right attitude, both humble but really ambitious and want to make an impact. They are not here to just ease their way in, they want to play, and that’s what you want from young guys coming through. They bring a good energy to the group.”
Gray has wasted little time in making his mark at Tottenham, catching the eye of supporters during what was his side’s first televised game of the summer. A compilation video was clipped up and went viral on social media after the game, with Leeds supporters also clearly happy to see their young prospect doing well.
The 18-year-old will hope to continue his impressive start to pre-season in a bid to cement himself in first-team plans for the 2024/25 season. No one is expecting a repeat of last season’s 49 appearances but regular football is needed and Postecoglou seems open to putting his trust in young talent.
The former Leeds man will face a familiar opponent in Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers on Saturday before Tottenham head to Japan for their summer tour. Spurs kick off their Premier League campaign at Leicester City on August 19.