Exclusive Tottenham ace Archie Gray spoke about football.London journalist Rob Guest discusses his debut at Tottenham and working with Ange Postecoglou
Archie Gray has told football.london that he doesn’t care where he plays on the pitch for Tottenham right now. The 18-year-old joined the north London club from Championship side Leeds United in July and has since featured in a variety of positions during his brief career.
Gray, who is regarded as a long-term midfielder, was used as a right-back for the majority of the 2023/24 season by Daniel Farke at Leeds. Since the season began in August, the highly-rated ace has spent a lot of his Tottenham playing time on the right side.
As much as some may like Gray to play in a set position rather than all over the pitch for Ange Postecoglou, the star understands that gaining experience in a variety of situations now can only help him improve his game in the future. This, in turn, will help both Postecoglou and Tottenham.
“I’m just enjoying it, and wherever I end up on the pitch, I’ll do my best,” Gray told football.london in an exclusive interview. “Every day in training, wherever I am on the pitch, I will strive to learn as much as I can because, at the end of the day, I am an 18-year-old and it makes no difference where I play now. As long as I can learn lots.
“When you play different positions, you develop an understanding of them. And, especially when you return to your preferred position or play in a different game, you realize what you want from that position. Say I play central midfield in one game and had previously played right-back; you understand what the right-back needs from you as well as what the centre-back wants because you have played in those positions.
“It’s just incredibly important to understand what they want and where you need to be in such scenarios, and I believe it improves my entire game and comprehension. As I already stated, I will continue to learn those positions.
Gray is a popular choice among Tottenham fans to play the No.6 midfield position. We have only seen the teenager in the middle of the field for Tottenham on a couple of occasions, but it is widely regarded as his long-term position after playing there for club and country.
Gray has had opportunities at the conclusion of Premier League games against Leicester City and Everton, and he has also been used in midfield during pre-season. What makes things difficult for him at Tottenham right now is that Postecoglou has Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma to choose from at No. 6.
The trio may be battling for a starting spot, but Bentancur and Bissouma are playing important roles in Gray’s development on the training pitch at Hotspur Way.
“They’re two brilliant players and they’re so important for the team,” he told me. “Especially in training every day, they both help me so much since I’m a young player and they’ve experienced a lot of football and played at the top
“They’re assisting me when I walk in at No.6 in training and I’m in the same situation as them. They only teach me little things like where to stand on the pitch. It’s quite handy, and I appreciate it.”
Postecoglou is also having a big impact on Gray’s development right now. Following his big-money move to Tottenham at the start of July, the versatile player claimed that he is a Celtic fan and that the Australian manager played a “massive factor” in his move to N17. So, what was it like for Gray to work with Postecoglou on a daily basis?
“It has been a pleasure just to learn things under him in training and being able to work under him is a pleasure and I’m really grateful for it,” he told me. “There’s so much more that I can learn from him and I’m just taking it day-by-day in training and the games, so I’m just very grateful.”
Gray told football.london that he has “definitely” developed as a player in his first four months at the club, which he attributes to Postecoglou’s training techniques. The player believes one aspect of his game has improved significantly since joining Spurs.
“Just understanding the game a bit more and being a bit more adaptable, if you could say that because I played in a lot of positions last year and even this year I’ve played in a new one at centre-back,” said the youngster from England. “I’m enjoying it and just working hard every day.”
Although Gray has struggled to find minutes in the Premier League since the beginning of the season, he has played extensively for Tottenham in the Europa League. The Leeds United academy graduate has played the full 90 minutes in all three league phase games so far, starting as a centre-back before switching to left-back in the second half of last month’s 2-1 triumph against Ferencvaros.
“That’s brilliant. I’ve previously stated in an interview that it differs from league football and cup tournaments in England since it is played under lights against European sides with various playing styles, and you have to approach each game differently depending on how the teams play,” Gray explained. “It just has a different feeling to it because it’s in a European competition but I enjoy it a lot and I can’t wait for the games.”
Gray will be looking forward to one Europa League encounter in particular because of his Celtic links. Tottenham travels to Ibrox to face Rangers in early December, and the prodigy will be anxious to get all three points in the home of Celtic’s fierce city.
“Definitely [looking forward to it],” he said with a smile. “When you watch Celtic and support them a little, you always look forward to the Rangers game. The opportunity to play at Ibrox is quite special, and I can’t wait.
“I have attended one [Old Firm Derby], but it was not at Ibrox. They’re fantastic games, and I like them every time. Even on television, they’re just as entertaining.”
“Grey, who supports Celtic, is well aware of Postecoglou’s stirring comments on the pitch prior to the Bhoys’ trophy celebrations. The Australian is also well-known for his motivational remarks in the locker room, with several players who have previously worked under him noting that they were prepared to fight hours before taking the field.
So, how excellent are they, and what is it like for a Celtic fan to see them on a weekly basis?
“They are good,” Gray conceded. “They get you excited about a game and prepared for it. With a manager like him, you want to give your all for him and do your best in the game to get the three points. The team meetings are quite special.
“Everything we do we treat each other like family and that’s a big topic around here because if you treat your teammates like family then you’ll be ready to do everything for them on the pitch.”
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