As weeks go, you’d struggle to find anyone who has had a better one than Leeds United wonderkid Harry Gray.
From becoming the fourth-youngest debutant in Leeds United’s history on the day that promotion back to the Premier League was secured – Harry replaces older brother Archie as the youngest of the Gray family to appear in the white shirt – to scoring the winner in the National League Cup final.
Did we mention the 16-year-old forward was also front and centre of the celebrations at Elland Road? The champagne soaking into the turf as Gray, a picture of youthful exuberance, chased around his teammates with confetti cannons and performed pull-ups on the crossbar.
And just one day later, in the first edition of the National League Cup since 2009, Leeds’ next generation narrowly defeated a senior Sutton United side on their very own Gander Green Lane pitch.
Highly-rated defender Diogo Monteiro scored his first ever goal for Portugal’s Under-21s in March. A month later, he put Leeds ahead against Sutton with a back-post finish late in the first-half.
If Monteiro was a rather surprising goalscorer, however, the man who netted Leeds’ winner was anything but.
An impressive run and cross from Harvey Vincent and Harry Gray, loitering at the far side of the penalty area, arrived late to cooly lift his finish over an advancing goalkeeper.
Harry Gray fires Leeds United past Sutton in National League Cup final
Former Leeds prospect Andy Wright told The Athletic recently that Harry Gray reminds him of a young Michael Owen.
Gray has been likened to Harry Kane by others, such is the variety and the ruthlessness of his finishing.
For Scott Gardner, Leeds United’s triumphant Under-21 coach, this was very much a team victory, albeit one secured by perhaps the most exciting attacker to emerge out of West Yorkshire in many a year.
“Immensely proud,” Gardner told LUTV, watching on as Alfie Cresswell lifted the trophy to spark yet more victorious celebrations amongst the Leeds. “I think they deserved it, not just in the game but the competition itself.
“We have showcased what the club is about, and to see our players in front of the [away] fans at the end… Yeah, really proud.
“I say this every week but we’ve shown we’ve got a bit of everything. We can play, we had a couple of chances where we should have buried the game. When the goal went in, unbelievable composure not to panic.
“They had a lot of the ball towards the end but I don’t think there was any big opportunities I think we deserved the win.
“[We were playing against] players who played across the whole football pyramid, so an invaluable experience.”
Gray plans to make first-team breakthrough despite Tottenham interest
After making the step up to Under-21 level and scoring three times in his last four appearances in Premier League 2, Gray’s typically cool winning strike was another milestone in his young career.
The 16-year-old feels that, while he had a spell out of contention with injury at the beginning of the campaign, everything – the good and the bad – has culminated in a season full of life lessons and so much personal and physical development.
“It was a good night. Not the best performance but we got the trophy. That’s what we wanted,” Gray smiles. “We got through it and defended, scored the two goals that we needed. That’s what you need in games like this, a final.
“It shows good character. You don’t need to play well. You just need to score more than them.
“I’m enjoying it. Its been a good week! I just want to keep scoring goals but hopefully [in the] first-team next year and prove myself.
“It was difficult [to suffer an injury] at the start of the season because I was around the first-team. It helped me, that time out. I am a different player [now], I feel a lot stronger.”
With Tottenham sniffing around – Spurs want to reunite Harry Gray with Archie Gray in North London – fortunately Leeds’ baby-faced number 45 appears to have no intention of bringing a premature end to his emergence as an Elland Road favourite.
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