'Pushing for a loan' - Leeds United's Harry Gray on Rotherham United move and men's game readiness
Leeds United striker Harry Gray says he was pushing for a loan move this month and believes time at Rotherham United will be better for him than more youth football.
Gray will spend the rest of the season out on loan to get match minutes and develop his game with the Millers, who sit 22nd in League One after a seven-game losing streak. The 17-year-old is expected to be heavily involved from the off and could make a debut against Stockport County at the weekend.
While the move came as somewhat of a surprise for the Leeds fanbase, Gray admits it was something he wanted in January so he could swap Under 21s football for the real thing.
"Pushing for a loan move and when I heard I could go to Rotherham it was an opportunity that excited me," he said. "My dad has mentioned them a few times and it's always nice to have a club like that watching you. I didn't feel like I'd gain anything else from playing youth football any more, I felt I was ready to play men's football."
Gray takes his new club's league position and current form as a positive challenge and is not shy about his belief that he can help change their fortunes. And he and Leeds have evidently had some assurances from boss Matt Hamshaw when it comes to game time.
"I think it's something you can look forward to and can only take in a positive way," he said. "With not doing great at the minute it's a challenge to make them better but I believe I'm more than good enough to do that and I'm looking forward to it.
"That's exactly what I need, exactly what I came here for, minutes and opportunity to play in men's football and score goals, that's all I want to do. The main selling point is just he trusts me and there's going to be minutes and opportunities to score goals. It's just an opportunity to prove to people I'm ready to do it [in the men's game]. It's a positive, with new people, you can make new friends and you can learn different ways of football. I've only worked with one manager at Leeds, it's a whole new look on football, you can only take it as a positive."
Gray was asked by his new club's media team what he knew about League One and admitted 'not much' but expects a more physical battle than the one he been having with Leeds Under 21s, for whom he has 11 goals in 14 outings this season. And he hopes his debut comes quickly.
"It's exciting," he said. "Getting straight into it means there's a sense of trust from the manager that he believes in me, I've got to repay his trust and do what I do."