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Leeds United’s academy sensation has wasted no time making an impact at his new club.
Robbie Keane believes Archie Gray can go ‘all the way’ after leaving Leeds United for Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer.
Gray joined Tottenham in a deal worth £40million at the start of July, making the step up to a Champions League-challenging club less than 12 months after making his senior debut. The 18-year-old started last season’s opening-weekend clash against Cardiff City and did not look back, going from strength to strength under Daniel Farke before earning his move to Spurs.
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And Gray has wasted no time imposing himself on his new club, with supporters and manager Ange Postecoglou waxing lyrical about the versatile teenager, who has even played centre-back during pre-season and already established himself among the first-team picture. Keane got a first-hand glimpse of Gray during his short spell as Sam Allardyce’s assistant at Leeds in 2023 and the former striker can see why Tottenham were so keen to snap him up.
“I’d like to see Tottenham up there with the leaders but they certainly need a few more players,” Keane told The Boy Hotspur Substack. “I know Archie Gray very well, having coached him at Leeds, and I think he’s a great signing for Spurs. His potential is very, very high and he’s a lovely lad.
“Tottenham is a really good fit for him, and I think he’s got a great chance to go all the way. He played a lot at right-back for Leeds last season, but he is definitely a midfield player so I’m interested to see where Ange Postecoglou plays him.”
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Gray’s versatility will have been a driving force behind Tottenham’s interest, with the 18-year-old expected to fit perfectly in Postecoglou’s system. The Australian demanded his right-back move into central midfield when in possession last season and it is seemingly a role perfect for the Leeds academy graduate.
And Postecoglou tested that versatility by dropping Gray into central defence during a pre-season meeting with Scottish side Heart of Midlothian. But the teenager looked as comfortable there as he does anywhere else on the pitch and his new head coach was quick to give praise.
“Archie did well,” Postecoglou told Tottenham’s website after the win. “He, Skippy [Oliver Skipp] and Jamie [Donley] probably weren’t expected to be starting in our back four, but that’s okay. It’s for guys like Archie to get accustomed to how we play, how we train and he’s an intelligent kid and coped with that okay today.
“But I thought Archie was really good today. He did the things we know he can do well, and he’s adapting to the intensity and tempo of what we do. Lucas [Bergvall] the same. They’re both really good kids. They’ve come here with the right attitude, both humble but really ambitious and want to make an impact. They are not here to just ease their way in, they want to play, and that’s what you want from young guys coming through. They bring a good energy to the group.”