Leeds United have announced that midfield starlet Archie Gray has signed a new long-term contract with the club.
Since making his senior debut for the Whites in August last year, the 17-year-old academy graduate has been one of the first names on the teamsheet under manager Daniel Farke in the Championship this season.
Gray has started 26 of his 28 appearances for Leeds in all competitions, playing in either central midfield or at right-back, and he equalled a club-record for the most starts by a player before the age of 18 in last weekend's 3-0 win over Cardiff City.
The youngster's impressive performance for the West Yorkshire club are understood to have caught the eye of a number of Premier League clubs including Liverpool, Manchester United, Everton and Crystal Palace.
Despite interest in his services, Gray has decided to commit his future to boyhood club Leeds by penning a new long-term contract, believed to be valid until the summer of 2028, just a year after signing his first professional deal.
✍️ #LUFC is delighted to announce Archie Gray has signed a new contract, committing his long-term future at Elland Road
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 16, 2024
"It feels amazing, it's another dream come true," Gray told LUTV after signing his new deal. "Supporting Leeds and following the club my whole life, it is just a dream come true, like I said.
"It means a lot to me and my family, the club trust me and trust my family and hopefully I can repay it. My family have supported me the whole way, giving me advice and helping me and now by training hard, I want to help them out and help my little brothers out."
Gray is part of a special family dynasty at Leeds having followed in the footsteps of his father Andy Gray, who played 38 times for the Whites across two spells, as well as grandfather Frank Gray and great uncle Eddie Gray, who both represented the club in the 1960s and 1970s.
"After working really hard in pre-season, I was hoping to play a bit this season, but I didn't expect to be playing as much as I have been." Gray added. "It just shows the trust everyone has in me and it means a lot to me.
"I think my game has developed a lot, the experience is invaluable in the Championship, it's a physical league which has everything.
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"I just try to keep as calm as I can on the pitch and take every moment as it is, be calm with the ball and do my best off it."
Gray continued: "The manager has helped me a lot this season, especially with positioning and little things with what foot to pass to and what foot to receive with and the right-back position, he's helped me loads and it's been really good so far.
"My teammates have been amazing helping me and the fans as well, they've also been amazing. We're creating something this season, we've all worked really hard in pre-season and throughout the campaign to gain momentum and hopefully we can keep it going.
"Obviously this season we want to get back to the place where we belong, but we're taking it game by game and from there, we'll see where it takes us."
Gray is hoping to enjoy a strong second half of the season with promotion-chasing Leeds, who currently sit fourth in the Championship table and seven points behind the automatic promotion places.
Oliver Thomas
