Tottenham prodigy Archie Gray produced an accomplished performance for England U21 against Northern Ireland U21
Tottenham Hotspur youngster Archie Gray was in international action for England under-21 on Friday evening.
The teenage prodigy, who arrived at White Hart Lane this summer in a £30m deal from Leeds United earlier this summer, featured in the 0-0 stalemate against Northern Ireland under-21 in a 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier.
Starting as a right wing-back, Archie Gray produced an eye-catching performance for the young Three Lions. It is a position he has played before for his nation as well as former employers Leeds United, so he looked comfortable on and off the ball. The Tottenham young gun played the full 90 minutes as Ben Futcher’s side drew 0-0 with Tommy Wright’s boys at the Ballymena Showgrounds.
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In Futcher’s 3-4-2-1 formation, Gray enjoyed the freedom to attack from the wing-back position. While he didn’t produce an assist or a goal, the 18-year-old’s presence on the pitch gave the England under-21 side balance. He was effective on the ball and worked extremely hard off it.
The Spurs starlet won 4/4 duels (ground and aerial), completed 70/78 passes with 90% accuracy, had 101 touches on the ball and completed 2/2 attempted dribbles. He was also defensively astute when required to be, helping his nation keep a clean sheet. He made a successful tackle and clearance apiece in what was an overall dynamic display from Gray. (stats courtesy: SofaScore)
The Durham-born talent demonstrated his talent once again which should have left the Spurs fans excited. What makes Gray even more special is his ability to operate in midfield, central defence and right-back/wing-back without much fuss—a bliss for any trainer to have a player with such versatility in the squad including Ange Postecoglou.
Of course, Gray is very young and will need time to fully acclimatize himself to the demands of Premier League football, but the early signs he has shown when playing in a Tottenham shirt have been extremely promising.
Just like how Big Ange and Spurs are planning to use the remainder of September to launch another exciting talent Lucas Bergvall’s career, the development of Gray could follow the same pathway after the international break.
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Big Ange will supposedly look to hand Gray starting roles in domestic cup competitions and the Europa League, and should he perform well, the England under-21 will get more minutes in the Premier League.
