18-year-old Leeds United star has just been named as one of the top 50 wonderkids in the world

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Leeds United sit top of the Championship table while boasting one of the youngest squads in the entire division.

Of players used so far this season, only Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers have a younger average age than Leeds, meaning all the signs are pointing towards a very bright future at Elland Road.

Even those who have been wearing the captain’s armband for much of the season in Pascal Struijk and Ethan Ampadu aren’t any older than 24, while key attacking duo Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter are 22 and 21 respectively.

But there is someone even younger than that who has been in brilliant form for Leeds and that is, of course, recently turned 18-year-old Archie Gray.

Gray is already recognised as one of the brightest young talents across the whole of English football, with Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate already having name checked him at his most recent press conference.

But as per GOAL, the latest annual NXGN list has gone even further than that, by naming him as one of the top 50 wonderkids across the whole of world football.

Gray rising stock can only be good for Leeds

NXGN’s list includes players only to have been born after January 1 2005, meaning Gray still actually has another year in which he can be eligible. 2025’s list will obviously only have talents whose birthday is after January 1 2006.

Gray is ranked 43rd on the list overall, which considering he has never played in a top-flight league is an incredible achievement. Hopefully in 12 months’ time, Leeds will be in the Premier League, with Gray still a regular.

Above him in the list includes players from some of the world’s biggest clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and so many more.

Gray himself is already being monitored by Europe’s elite but lists such as these show what sort of regard he is held in, which can only be a good thing for Leeds.

Leeds were able to tie him to a new long-term contract recently and the more he keeps developing at the rate he is, the more astronomical the price they will be able to charge, once he is inevitably ready to take the next step.