Young Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray has signed his first professional contract with the club, as announced today.
Gray turned 17 last Sunday, making him now old enough to agree to a professional contract.
The deal itself lasts for two-and-a-half-years, meaning that the promising youngster is set to remain at Elland Road until the summer of 2025.
A product of the club’s academy system – Gray has impressed during his time at Leeds throughout all age groups.
He featured 14 times for the Whites’ Under-23s last season, despite only being 15 years old at the time.
It was at this tender age that Gray also found himself part of a first-team Premier League squad when he was named on the bench for Leeds’ home game against Arsenal in December 2021. He went on to feature on the bench five more times during this campaign.
Aside from club football, Gray has also been a prominent member of the England squad throughout various age groups.
Most notably, he captained the Under-16s side who won the Val-de-Marne tournament in November 2021, a feat achieved by beating France in the final of the competition. He retained this captaincy role when he made the step up to the England Under-17s, who he features regularly for currently.
Leeds, in their statement, claim they are “delighted” with the deal, and “look forward to his future progress”.
Gray is the latest addition to a promising crop of youth players, with a focus on developing emerging talent being one of the key priorities for Whites’ director of football Victor Orta.
