Eddie Gray has been discussing his great nephew Archie Gray’s breakthrough season at Leeds United.
Gray had not made a single first team appearance for Leeds prior to this campaign but has quickly established himself as a vital part of the team under Daniel Farke.
The 17-year-old started the season in his preferred position of central midfield alongside Ethan Ampadu but the signings of Ilia Gruev and Glen Kamara have restricted his minutes there.
Since around October, Gray has been Leeds’ first choice right-back, seeing off competition from the likes of Djed Spence and Luke Ayling, as well as keeping January arrival Connor Roberts on the bench.
However, speaking on talkSPORT this morning, great uncle Eddie believes Archie will improve so much once he returns to midfield due to the attributes he has in his locker.
Eddie says Archie will improve in midfield
He said: “Archie is doing well! He will do better when he moves away from right-back. He is playing there basically but he’s a midfield player, you see when he popped up and scored the goal the other night, he has that in his locker.
“He’s able to take the ball and go by people. He will end up playing in the middle of the park but he has done well at right-back.”
As Eddie says, there is no doubt that Archie’s long-term future is in midfield but at the same time, he has got better and better at right-back and is clearly capable of playing both positions.
Gray scored his first goal for Leeds in the incredible comeback win over Leicester City on Friday and there will be scope for him to do that more once he does return to his preferred position.
However, at this stage of his career, Gray will just be buzzing to be getting as many minutes as he has at his boyhood club, with time very much on his side to eventually go and make that move into midfield.
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