'I'd love my brother to do it' - Archie Gray exclusive: Leeds United exit, Elland Road friendships and family wish

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Exclusive: Whisked away in the space of a weekend over the summer, former Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray hasn't had the opportunity to reflect on his Elland Road journey, until now.

The YEP caught up with the England Under-21 and Tottenham Hotspur star during October's international break, following a late 2-1 European Championship qualifying win at AFC Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium.

Gray was the youngest starter and one of only two teenagers named in interim head coach Ben Futcher's XI which ultimately defeated group leaders Ukraine, but by no means the least experienced.

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Unlike some of his international peers, the 2023/24 Championship Young Player of the Season enjoyed a full campaign in England's second tier last term, as a protagonist for Daniel Farke's promotion-chasing Leeds side. The manner in which Gray receives the ball under pressure belies the fact he remains a relative novice in the professional game; the way he has been utilised at right-back, central midfield and more recently central defence by club boss Ange Postecoglou, indicates he has the trust of several top-level coaches, too.

It is why Spurs deemed him worthy of a £40 million investment this past summer, in what was a swiftly-arranged transfer, swapping Elland Road and the Championship for the bright lights of the Premier League, European football and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"I've enjoyed my time since I got there - it's been really, really good and I've settled in well so far," Gray says.

It was to be expected, perhaps, that Gray would play a supporting role during the early months in North London. Although, he has still accrued 300 minutes across six appearances for Spurs, including two 90-minute run-outs against Qarabag FK and Ferencvaros in the UEFA Europa League, in which he played right-back and centre-half, respectively.

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"Like I said, wherever the manager and his coaching staff want to put me, it doesn't bother me," Gray says unfazed, much like his performances in different areas of the pitch. "I'll just go out there and enjoy my football and do the best of my abilities."

Given the nature of his move, the teenager has been forced to adapt to a new reality, leaving his North Yorkshire base for the first time, setting up in the nation's capital, but those links to his boyhood club remain strong. In particular, the relationships Gray says he has retained are at the forefront of his mind when asked to reflect on the all-too-brief spell as an Elland Road favourite.

"Yeah, of course, I got to say goodbye to them all. And you know, I still speak to quite a few of them, like Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Mateo [Joseph]."

Archie Gray speaks to the YEP following England U21s' win over UkraineArchie Gray speaks to the YEP following England U21s' win over Ukraine
Archie Gray speaks to the YEP following England U21s' win over Ukraine | YEP

Gray's big-brother-little-brother dynamic with right-sided defensive partner and Wales international Rodon was a sub-plot to the Whites' promotion push last season. While the 26-year-old is eight-and-a-half years Gray's senior, the pair would often spend time off the pitch, as well as on matchdays, on camera during in-house media responsibilities and at activation events in the community.

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"I played football with them last year but not just that, I'm really good mates with them off the pitch as well, so keeping [those] connections with them is really important because they've got loads of experience, and it's just really good to have them as good mates."

Whilst on Wales duty last month, Rodon reiterated his affection for the ex-Leeds youngster: “Great, great kid. I think, a lot goes for him [because] hard work is his biggest thing. We’re all going to be supporting him and rooting for him going forward."

Leeds skipper Ampadu reinforced the point, believing Gray can reach the top of the game: “He’s had an incredible breakthrough year but he knows he can go to more levels. He hasn’t done anything there [at Spurs] but we have belief in him and we’re all happy for him to move on to that next step.”

Whilst Rodon and Ampadu took on more of a mentor-mentee role with Gray, there were others around the Leeds squad last season who'd more appropriately be described as peers or agemates. Current first-choice striker and Spain Under-21 forward Mateo Joseph is one with whom Gray shares a closeness unlike many others in the professional game.

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The pair came through the youth setup at Thorp Arch, playing alongside each other first for the U18s at Thorp Arch, before graduating to the U21s - a side which Joseph ultimately captained to promotion from the previously-formatted Premier League 2 Division 2. Additionally, Joseph and Gray have appeared together for England's Under-20 side.

Fittingly, the only time the duo ever completed 90 minutes - or even more than half an hour - in senior football was last season's FA Cup tie at Chelsea, which Leeds narrowly lost by three goals to two. It was a game in which Joseph scored twice, announcing himself to Leeds supporters while Gray picked up the Man of the Match award for his performance against £200m midfield pairing Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, in turn announcing himself to the wider English football spectator with the game having been broadcast on free-to-air television.

"We were there in the shower, we hugged each other, we said 'remember when we were playing here with the 21s'," Joseph told the YEP at Stamford Bridge that night. "Hopefully it's a long journey with him and we can bring to the club big things and so many wins."

No longer teammates at club or international level following Gray's transfer and Joseph switching allegiances from England to Spain, the country of his birth, the two may find themselves reunited as opponents next summer at the U21 Euros.

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"Mateo is doing brilliant. He scored a hat trick, I think it was last night," Gray said following England's win over Ukraine which all but qualifies Futcher's Young Lions for the tournament in Slovakia next June. "He's doing well for Leeds, we came through the ranks together since Under-18s. And you know, I'm still really close with him, really good friends, and I'm always looking out for him, how he's doing.

"It'd be amazing to play against him and I'd really enjoy it," Gray added.

Despite the relationships Gray has retained at Elland Road, there is one not even Rodon, Ampadu or Joseph come close to matching. Over the summer, Archie's younger brother Harry spent time training with Leeds' senior squad during their pre-season preparations, making a friendly appearance versus Harrogate Town. The forward, who only turned 16 last week, picked up an injury towards the end of the summer but during 2023/24, impressed for the club's U18s finding the net on average every 102 minutes, whilst playing three age groups up.

Gray Jnr's season total came out at eight goals across 11 appearances in the U18 Premier League amid involvement with the U21 setup, just as his older brother managed at the same age, whilst also evidently catching Farke's eye.

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"I'm not worried," Archie, the eldest of four brothers, tells the YEP cracking a smile. "I'd love for him to do it. It would obviously be amazing for him [Harry] to break my record. But like I said, he just needs to keep working hard, and then hopefully it'll come."

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