'I've worked hard' - Tottenham Hotspur new boy Archie Gray recalls Leeds United moment after Spurs first
Former Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray says he is 'happy to play wherever' Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou sees fit for him after making his maiden friendly outing at centre-back.
The 18-year-old was interviewed by Spurs' in-house TV channel after the team's 5-1 friendly win over Scottish side Heart of Midlothian earlier this week, where he deputised in central defence.
During the post-match briefing, Gray spoke maturely and recalled last summer's pre-season friendly at Tynecastle with Leeds, at which point he was yet to make his professional debut.
He would go on to appear more than 50 times for United as the club narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League and subsequently moved to North London in a £40 million transfer earlier this month.
"Another good feel of playing the football and ultimately getting the minutes in the legs," Gray said. "They're a good team, we came up [with Leeds] last year and it's a really good stadium and it's an enjoyable game - but mostly really important to just, like I said, get the minutes in the legs.
"Obviously I wasn't expecting to play centre-back but honestly I'm just really grateful for the opportunity to play and learn different positions," the teenager added, reflecting on the new role he was asked to carry out by Australian boss Postecoglou.
"I said this last year in an interview - I don't really care where I play, I'm 18 years-old and I need to learn the game."
Gray has joined a stacked Spurs squad brimming with talent, especially at the top of the pitch, and will face a battle to play regular minutes throughout 2024/25, even if frequent appearances in European competition is likely due to the need to juggle Europa League football and Premier League engagements.
"I feel a little bit lucky to be watching the front players that we've got. The attack [has] so many good players," Gray added, before correcting himself. "I wouldn't say lucky, I've worked hard and but I'm just grateful for the opportunity to play in this team and I'm excited for the next few games."