Archie Gray has had a mixed bag of a first season at Tottenham Hotspur.
On one hand, the Englishman can be immensely proud of himself for becoming a regular starter at Spurs and not looking out of place in the Premier League at just 18 years of age.
But Archie Gray also may have reasons to be disappointed, having played much of the season out of position as a makeshift centre-back and with Tottenham being 13th in the league.
| Position | Team | Played MP |
Won W |
Drawn D |
Lost L |
For GF |
Against GA |
Diff GD |
Points Pts |
 |
28 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 55 | 41 | 14 | 34 |
However, from a personal standpoint, the teenager has impressed and his mature displays have not gone unnoticed — with Pedro Porro raving about Gray’s talent as well. Ange Postecoglou admitted he loves managing Gray and wishes to benefit during his time at Tottenham off the basis that the versatile midfielder morphs into a top player one day.
Aaron Lennon had the chance to work with the Lilywhites wonderkid at Leeds United last season where he was the Under-18s coach.
Aaron Lennon “gutted” Archie Gray has barely played in midfield for Tottenham
Lennon, who was once a brilliant young player himself has revealed that Gray has blown him away at Tottenham.
Aaron Lennon revealed that what has particularly stunned him about Gray, who won the Young Player of the Year accolade at the London Football Awards is how terrific he has looked as a centre-back.
Lennon told Football.London: “Obviously, I know Archie quite well from his Leeds days. I’d watched him a lot. I knew how good he was. It’s even shocked me how good he’s been this season again and what he’s gone on to. He’s taken it to another level, and especially in the positions he’s had to play.”
“There’s a few similarities there and they’ve got [Lucas] Bergvall, who is obviously a quality player. [Djed] Spence has been brilliant coming in now, and you’ve got Mikey Moore. They’ve got a lot of talented young lads. Is it going that way [with the youth rebuilds of the past], I’m not quite sure, but they’ve definitely got potentially some really, really top players.”
Aaron Lennon revealed that Gray, who has been compared to Zinedine Zidane earned rave reviews before he even worked him at Leeds United for his professionalism.
“When I went back to Leeds in the back end of the last season, he was just with the first team, but around the place he was always a great lad. The staff who had had him before spoke so highly of him just as an individual. They were just like ‘Aaron, trust me, you won’t meet a better lad’, that he was an unbelievable pro but just such a nice kid, and he strikes me as that.”
But what has upset Aaron Lennon is that Gray has rarely been given a chance of playing in his natural position in midfield at Tottenham this campaign.
“So for me, he’s still going to be a central midfielder, and I’m actually gutted for him that he’s not managed to get more minutes there because I do think he could have a big influence on this team playing in the centre of the park. Obviously with the injury problems, he’s had to fill in in various roles, which he’s done unbelievably well at. I think his time will come.”
“I think if you ask him, he’ll say where he wants to play, he’ll tell you in the middle of the park, and once the injured players come back and it might be next season now, who knows but I think it will be amazing to see Archie get in the centre of the pitch.”
Comparing Archie Gray to Aaron Lennon at the same career point
Much like Gray, Aaron Lennon was also playing for Tottenham at 18 years of age.
Interestingly, the former played more football than the latter at the same point in their careers.
| COMPETITION | ARCHIE GRAY | AARON LENNON |
| PREMIER LEAGUE | 12 | 11 |
| FA CUP | 2 | 1 |
| CARABAO CUP | 5 | – |
Gray has made 19 starts this season while Aaron Lennon made 12 at the same point across all competitions.
Once the former Leeds orchestrator starts playing more in the middle of the park like Lennon wishes him to, he is bound to be handed even more minutes.
