The Standard reporter Dan Kilpatrick has revealed that some people who have followed Archie Gray’s development at Leeds United believe that his best position is not what many Tottenham fans think it is.
Gray made his name as a defensive midfielder at Elland Road in the 2023-24 season which is what convinced Tottenham Hotspur to shell out £40m on the teenager last summer.
Yet, he was hardly ever used in the number six role by Ange Postecoglou, instead being asked to play across the backline, most often as a centre-back due to Tottenham’s injury issues in that position.
Some Spurs fans were worried that Gray was not a regular in England’s U21 side during the Under-21 Euros, which the Young Lions won, but that could simply be down to the fact that the youngster has not had the opportunity to prove himself in any one position.
Dan Kilpatrick makes Steven Gerrard claim about Archie Gray
Many Tottenham supporters want to see the teenager be given a chance to impress in the base of the midfield during the upcoming season, but Kilpatrick has now suggested that the number six role may not be Archie Gray’s best position.
The journalist revealed that some people believe that the 19-year-old has the attributes to play as more of a number eight and get up and down the pitch, similar to how Steven Gerrard did at Liverpool.
Kilpatrick said on The Athletic’s View From the Lane podcast about Gray: “I think his best position is still a little bit up in the air. There’s a kind of assumption that, you know, he arrived here as a six and he was going to play deep. I think I’ve spoken to people that think he’s more of a kind of Gerrard type who could get up and down the pitch and kind of be a threat around the opposition goal.
“We spoke last time on the pod about Frank’s record of improving players and, you know, I mentioned the forwards, but he’s a good coach who’s tending to improve young players, you know, across his squads. And we know he likes Archie Gray. So I think he’s a player who could be set for a really important season.”
Why Thomas Frank may already have a position in mind for Gray
We already know that the new Tottenham head coach is a big fan of the Leeds academy graduate.
This is because Thomas Frank tried to take Gray to Brentford last summer, with the Bees even agreeing a fee with Leeds before the transfer was hijacked by Spurs.
Frank would certainly not have given the go-ahead for Brentford to pay £40m for Gray without having a clear idea of the role he wanted him to play.
We will thus find out in pre-season where the Danish coach sees the England Under-21 international thriving.
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