Leeds United see a bright future ahead for academy prospect Archie Gray at Elland Road.
That is according to Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton, who was speaking to GiveMeSport about the latest news from Elland Road.
As a product of the Leeds academy, Gray is yet to make his first-team bow for Jesse Marsch’s side, but has been named in the matchday squad on multiple occasions over the last 12 months.
The 16-year-old was also selected in the squad that travelled to Australia in the summer, when the club played three fixtures down under.
And Thornton believes that Gray’s inclusion on the club’s pre-season tour suggests that the club have faith in his potential ability, and says that the club have high hopes for him behind the scenes.
He said: “I think Archie Gray is one that there’s been a lot of talk about.
“There are high hopes for him, there’s no secret about that.
“The fact that he was on the pre-season tour to Australia, that tells you a lot.”
TIF Thoughts on Thornton’s comments…
We would suggest that Gray’s inclusion on a pre-season tour would imply that Marsch is keen to have a look at where the attacking midfielder’s career can go from here.
The American head coach is clearly a fan of the young Englishman’s talents, describing the forward-minded player as “intelligent” and “clever”, suggesting that there could be a long future at Elland Road ahead for the youngster.
We therefore think that from the noises coming out of the club, it’s very clear that Gray is a highly regarded prospect for the Premier League side, and we may be seeing him make his first senior appearances sooner rather than later.