This page is dedicated to the rise of Leeds Academy graduate Archie Gray. Archie James Francis Gray joined the club's academy programme aged 9 and has progressed within the club’s Academy system throughout several age groups, including playing for the club's Under-23s at the age of 15.

 

On December 18 2021, Archie Gray was named in a senior matchday squad for the first time when he was selected by Marcelo Bielsa as a substitute for the Premier League fixture against Arsenal at Elland Road. Archie became the youngest ever player to appear in a senior Leeds United matchday squad in the club’s history aged 15 years, 281 days. If he had featured, he would have set a new club record for the youngest player to represent the club which is held by Peter Lorimer aged 15 years, 289 days in September 1962 in a 1-1 draw against Southampton.

 

Gray was named as a substitute on six occasions in the Premier League during the 2021/22 season but he did not feature in any matches. Leeds' rising star was also named as a substitute on seven occasions during the 2022/23 season but again was not yet handed his first team debut. 

 

The talented midfielder signed a two-year scholarship deal with his boyhood club in September 2022 and signed his first professional contract with Leeds on March 17 2023 when he agreed a two-and-half-year contract until the summer of 2025.

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Archie has also been a prominent figure throughout the England age groups and captained the Under-16s to win the Val-de-Marne tournament in November 2021 and captained England Under-16s to a 3-2 victory over France in the final. Gray has captained the England Under-17s and represented his country at the 2023 UEFA Under-17 European Championships in May 2023. He scored against Switzerland Under-17s in the competition's fifth-place finish match whilst playing at right-back.

 

Gray was called up the England Under-19s set up for the first time in September 2023 but withdrew from the squad after a minor fitness concern with Leeds wanting to manage his workload after featuring in all seven first team matches up until September 2 2023. 

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Archie made his England U19s debut on October 11 2023 and played 90 minutes in a goalless European Championship Qualfiier against Montenegro U19s as a right midfielder before slotting in at right-back.

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Archie Gray was moved over to England's Elite League squad from the England U19s after being called up by interim head coach Ben Futcher and made his Under-20 Elite League Squad debut in a 0-3 defeat to Italy in Doncaster and wore the number 8 shirt.

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The 18-year-old received his first England U21s call up by Lee Carsley on March 15 2024 for the European U21 Championship Qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Luxembourg. Gray came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute and scored five minutes later on his England U21s debut against Azerbaijan on March 22nd 2024.

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He was handed the number 22 shirt for the 2023/24 season by manager Daniel Farke and made his first team debut for Leeds on August 6 2023 in the opening match of the 2023/24 Championship season with a 2-2 draw with Cardiff City at Elland Road aged 17 years, 147 days. Gray became the youngest player (17 years, 147 days) to start a game for Leeds since Aidan White on October 26th 2008 v Millwall aged 16 years, 321 days.

 

The teenage maestro became the youngest ever Leeds United player to make an appearance in the club's first 10 league games of a single season aged 17 years, 206 days following a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers on October 4th 2023 [Stat courtesy of Jonny Cooper @JRCooper26].

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Archie Gray became the sixth-youngest ever Leeds player to make 20 appearances in the club's history aged 17 years, 265 days featuring in a 3-2 win over Middlesbrough on Dec 2nd 2023. (Courtesy of @JRCooper26).

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The teenager registered his first senior club assist in English league football at the age of 17 years, 272 days in a 2-0 win at Blackburn Rovers on Dec 9th 2023.

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The Leeds Academy graduate agreed to sign a new four-and-a-half-year deal at Elland Road until 2028 on January 16th 2024 upon the teenager turning 18-years-old.

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Archie Gray was awarded the Emirates Player of the Match award following his superb midfield performance a thrilling 3-2 FA Cup 5th round defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

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Archie appeared to have scored his first goal for the club in a 3-1 comeback victory over league leaders Leicester City on February 23rd 2024 at Elland Road. In that game, he played 76 minutes at right-back but switched to left-back where he provided Leeds' second goal of the evening.

 

The 17-year-old would have become the youngest member of his football family to score for Leeds United aged 17 years, 348 days, which would have beaten Eddie Gray's record by just two days and who was in the stands to celebrate his great nephew's achievement. Following a review of the goal, Archie Gray's goal against Leicester City was officially reclassified as an own goal by Leicester City defender Wout Faes.

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Archie Gray became is the youngest player in Leeds United history to start 40 matches for the club at the age of 18 years, 25 days featuring in a 2-1 defeat at Coventry City on April 6th 2024. He eclipsed the previous record held by Terry Connor by 9 days (stat courtesy of @JRCooper26).

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On March 7th 2024, Archie Gray was voted the PFA Championship Player of the Month for February 2024 and was also voted the Leeds United Player of the Month by the fans.

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On April 14th 2024, Archie Gray picked up two awards winning the 2023/24 EFL Championship Young Player of the Season and the EFL Championship Apprentice of the Season awards. Gray reserved praise for Leeds manager Daniel Farke for his progress: "To play the amount of games I’ve played at this age, I’ve been really lucky. I’ve said this a million times but with the manager and team-mates that I’ve got, I’m so grateful. The manager in just trusting in me and teaching me little things like positioning, especially in a new position at the start of the season at right-back. I’m really grateful to him for trusting me basically.”

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Four days later, Archie Gray won the Leeds United Young Player of the Year award at the club awards evening on April 18th 2024.

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