Tottenham star Archie Gray shines for England Under-21 vs Spain in a friendly fixture
Tottenham Hotspur stars have been impressing for their respective countries over the international break, much to the liking of Ange Postecoglou.
Archie Gray was in international action on Friday evening as England Under-21s faced Spain Under-21s away in a friendly fixture at Estadio Municipal Ciudad de La Línea. It was an entertaining 0-0 affair, but Archie Gray did benefit a lot from the valuable minutes after barely featuring for Spurs in the Premier League.
The teenager, who arrived from Leeds United in a £30 million deal, has mostly been used as a squad player by Ange Postecoglou this season. He has started all of Spurs’ Europa League and Carabao Cup fixtures, playing almost in every position across the backline.
However, the Englishman has now demonstrated to Big Ange that he might be ready for some regular Premier League minutes after his strong performance for England’s Under-21s in their 0-0 stalemate with Spain’s Under-21s.
Starting at right-back, the 18-year-old made four tackles, two clearances, won five of his seven ground duels and two out of two aerial duels. Gray showed good composure on the ball, completing 91 per cent of his passes and also winning a foul for his team. While his two attempted crosses in the box were not accurate, there was still plenty for Big Ange to like about the Spurs starlet’s full 90-minute display in a Three Lions shirt. (Stats courtesy: SofaScore)
Gray’s strong showing away on international duty comes at a juncture where his Tottenham teammate Rodrigo Bentancur is likely to be suspended for seven games. The Uruguayan international’s domestic ban looms large, following the FA’s decision to charge him with an “aggravated breach” of conduct for remarks he made about his teammate Son Heung-min.
Though the decision is yet to come officially from the FA, reports suggest it is likely to stand and Bentancur, who opened up for the first time on his potential ban, is set to miss critical games across the next two months. Without his presence in midfield, Big Ange will need to rely on other options to negotiate a tough run of domestic fixtures after November’s international break.
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Bentancur’s potential absence certainly opens the door for young talents to step up, and this could not be a better time for Gray to prove his talent for Spurs. The youngster deserves opportunities to show the Spurs gaffer what he can offer from his natural No.6 position.
And after his display for England Under-21s on the international stage, Big Ange should not hesitate to give Gray his first Premier League start for Spurs and subsequently a run of games in his preferred midfield position.