Archie Gray got his first taste of action in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt on Wednesday night following his Leeds United exit earlier this month.
Gray made the switch down to the capital in a deal said to be worth in the region of £40 million, with the 18-year-old having to go due to Leeds’ PSR concerns.
And just like in pre-season for Leeds 12 months ago, Gray and his Spurs teammates made the trip to Edinburgh to face Scottish Premiership side Hearts at Tynecastle.
Having been on the winning side 1-0 last summer, it was a more comfortable outing for Spurs in Scotland as they ran out comfortable 5-1 winners.
Former Leeds loanee Djed Spence was among the players on the scoresheet, with Gray playing the first 45 minutes alongside the likes of James Maddison and Heung-Min Son.
Gray immediately shows class on Spurs debut
After only just coming to terms with the fact he has left after just a year in the first team, Leeds fans certainly didn’t find it easy seeing him in action for Spurs.
In fact, Tottenham supporters were also left pretty blown away by his performance, particularly when you consider the position he played.
Despite central midfield being his best role, Gray spent much of last season at right-back, though insisted he would is happy to play anywhere to ensure he continues getting regular minutes.
However, his first outing for Spurs saw him playing in a shock new position of centre-back, something he did not do even once during his time at Leeds.
With Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven and Radu Dragusin not with the travelling squad due to their international commitments, Spurs headed up north without a recognised centre-back.
As such, Gray was put in there alongside Leeds target Oliver Skipp, and it is a testament to just how good he is that he was able to slot in so seamlessly.
What Ange Postecoglou said about Gray debut
Gray cited Ange Postecoglou as a big reason for his decision to choose North London, and the Spurs manager was asked for his thoughts on the teenager’s performance post-match.
Postecoglou claimed Gray certainly wasn’t expecting to play in the position he did, but was very pleased with how quickly he settled into the side.
He said: “Archie did well. He probably wasn’t expecting to be starting in a back four. 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.
“It’s about letting him and Lucas settle into things. But I thought Archie was really good today. He did the things we know he can do well, he’s adapting to the intensity and tempo of what we do. Lucas the same.
“They’re both really good kids. The right attitude, humble but really ambitious, want to make an impact. They are not here to just ease their way in, they want to play, They bring a good energy to the group.”
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