Spend time in Archie Gray’s company and the first thing that will strike you is that he has the maturity of a grizzled veteran at just 18. The second is that potential and what-may-be will not wash when it comes to Tottenham.
‘We’ve got a really young squad and that brings with it loads of potential and room for learning,’ he tells Mail Sport.
‘But it’s all good saying that… we want to try and win things this year. That’s our goal.
‘It’s all good saying you’ll be good in the future but you can always say that, because you can always go out and buy young players and always say you’ve got room for learning.’
Gray is 18, one of 14 players in Tottenham’s first team group aged 25 or younger.
Alongside Mikey Moore (17), Lucas Bergvall (18) and Will Lankshear (19), Gray is incredibly highly thought of and is viewed as a future Premier League and England star. Expectations are sky high.
Archie Gray may be only 18 years old but he has the head of a grizzled veteran on his shoulders
The versatile teenager joined Tottenham in the summer after leaving his boyhood club Leeds
Gray made his senior debut for Leeds just one season ago but quickly became a star
But given Tottenham are currently enduring a 16-years-and-counting drought to win a trophy – they last lifted one when Juande Ramos’ side beat Chelsea to win the Carabao Cup in 2008 – beating Manchester United in a cup quarter-final on Thursday is imperative and Gray is eyeing a starring role.
He has been taken under the wing of Son Heung-min and James Maddison, while Brennan Johnson has struck up a really close relationship with Gray, so much so they have recently been trying to co-ordinate the teen’s eventual first goal celebration.
‘They are world class players but at the end of the day off the pitch they are just normal people,’ he explains. ‘In the changing room they are normal guys. Looking on the outside you think “wow I play with these guys on FIFA” because that’s how I looked at it when I first went in!
‘It sounds a bit weird but I was still a bit starstruck.
‘But they are just normal guys who are really helping me everyday. I think the difference is that when work comes to work on the training pitch it’s 100 per cent every single day. As soon as they get off the pitch they are really great to have around in the changing room. It’s a great group.’
Gray’s demeanour is one that is very composed; he is a character that rarely gets his feathers ruffled and it was one of the reasons, along with his technical ability at such a young age, Ange Postecoglou was so keen to get him out of Leeds in the summer.
After a twist-and-turn transfer saga that at one stage had Gray going to Brentford from his boyhood club Leeds, he ended up joining Tottenham in a deal worth around £40million. The move made him the fourth most expensive 18-year-old in world football.
His final outing for Leeds, a club synonymous with his family with great uncle Eddie a club legend, grandad Frank, dad Andy and brothers Harry, Charlie and Jacob all playing for them, was a 1-0 play-off final defeat to Southampton at Wembley.
Ange Postecoglou was keen to sign the talented player for his cool demeanour as much as his playing abilities
But it was a difficult move for the player to leave behind a club synonymous with his family (his great uncle, Leeds legend Eddie Gray, pictured in 1972)
Gray’s final match for the Yorkshire club was heartbreaking play-off final which saw Leeds fall to Southampton at Wembley
Even now, six months on, that still stings. The move, and the way his chapter closed in Yorkshire having started out as a young ball boy, left fans devastated.
‘This year I’ve loads of ups and massive downs, probably the worst in football in losing the play-off final and it’s learning from experiences like that,’ he adds, following a pause for reflection.
‘Then signing for Tottenham, learning a bunch, in a different role to what I had at Leeds but it’s learning and adapting to that. It’s about working hard every day to get into the team and I’ll continue to do that. I’m enjoying it.
’It’s been a good year but I’m the type of person who doesn’t really like to get too excited or too low when things get bad. I stay in the middle and that’s the way I’ve always been and was always taught to be. I think that’s really helped me along the way.’
Learning is Gray’s buzzword these days. Learning how to live in London and away from family for the first time – with a bit of help from his girlfriend, Gracie.
Learning Spanish with the help of a private tutor to better communicate with team-mates. Learning to improve his chess game. Learning to get better at the driving range, his sanctuary where he goes to unwind. And, crucially, learning to play in a variety of positions under Postecoglou.
At Leeds, Gray operated routinely in central midfield. At Tottenham, in 17 appearances this season he has played right back, left back, centre back and central midfield.
So, ahead of facing Manchester United on Thursday night, are there any worries about becoming a jack of all trades and master of none?
Since the move south to London, Gray has been learning both on and off the pitch
Postecoglou has deployed the player all over the park, including in roles less familiar to him such as centre back
‘No, I’m not really focusing on what position I am right now,’ he says.
‘Look, this year and last year I’m more than happy to play anywhere just to get the minutes on the pitch.
‘I just try to take every opportunity I get and just try to stay in the team but like I said I’ve played central midfield since I was a young age… but I enjoy playing everywhere on the pitch and just getting the minutes.’
Gray is chatting to Mail Sport pitch side in the Netherlands at the end of an England U21 camp where they navigated two tricky games against No 1-ranked Spain and No 4-ranked Netherlands.
Behind us, in a hospitality area, is Jude Bellingham and fans who stayed behind scream like groupies at a concert to catch his eye.
Despite his 276,000 Instagram followers and his burgeoning reputation, Gray is still going under the radar. Only last month he went back to Leeds for a day out with former team-mate and close friend Ethan Ampadu, only to get mistaken for his younger brother Harry, who is in Leeds’ academy.
Gray knows superstardom could be on the horizon, for both club and country, not least with England after seeing so many of England’s U21s promoted to the senior team in the last camp under Lee Carsley.
‘We all watched (the seniors) and it was great seeing Tay (Harwood-Bellis) score that goal because it shows the pathway and especially if you do well with your club, stay consistent and especially when you come here,’ he says.
Despite failing to nail down a particular berth, Gray’s performances have been winning praise
Gray is looking to kick on internationally and build upon his appearances for England’s U21s
‘Do your best, stay consistent, and there will be a pathway for you.
‘A lot of the lads will be looking at that and it gives us hope, it gives us more desire to keep pushing and keep going to get to that first team because players like that have shown there is a pathway.’
Gray came into the season with a handful of aims, one of which was to snag the shirt of Leeds-born Manchester City striker Erling Haaland – a total no-go after a 4-0 demolition job of the champions’ last weekend.
The other was to win a trophy and that quest continues on Thursday.
Stay patient to win in the future? Good luck telling Gray that.
