Mixed emotions for Leeds United trio as Archie Gray thanks England side-door and duo left disappointed

Archie Gray’s England Under-17s secured qualification to this summer’s European Championships in Hungary, despite losing out to the Netherlands 1-0 on Tuesday night.

Gray’s first and only start of this international break came in the defeat, meaning the Young Lions finished second – behind the Dutch – in their qualification group. Thankfully, due to their favourable record, England qualified for the Championships as one of the best second-placed teams.

England’s Under-19 group, featuring Darko Gyabi and Sonny Perkins, were not to be so fortunate, despite beating Turkey 2-0 at Chesterfield’s Technique Stadium.

Both Leeds men returned to Simon Rusk’s starting line-up for the make-or-break fixture, hoping Iceland would slip up against Hungary to hand England a chance to defend their Under-19 Euros title. However, the Scandinavian nation – who had beaten England 1-0 last Saturday – made no mistake and finished ahead of the Three Lions in Elite Round qualification.

Due to the competition’s qualifying format, only group winners make it through to the final tournament meaning England and Leeds’ promising pair miss out on a trip to Malta this summer.

Elsewhere, Mateo Joseph was introduced from the bench in England Under-20s’ 1-1 draw with France in Marbella. It follows the youngster’s brace against the United States in a 4-2 friendly win last weekend.

Players will now return to Thorp Arch for the remainder of the Premier League and Premier League 2 campaigns where they will represent Leeds’ senior team and the club’s Under-21s, respectively. The Whites’ development squad – featuring Gray, Gyabi, Perkins and Joseph – are on course for promotion and a PL2 Division 2 title as they currently sit top of the table with three games remaining.