Harry Gray spent last season on loan at Rotherham United, but it was a difficult campaign as the Millers were relegated from League One.
Despite the team’s struggles, the 17-year-old emerged as one of the few bright spots, delivering enough encouraging performances to convince Leeds United that he remains one of the club’s most exciting young prospects.
Daniel Farke, however, believed another season of regular first-team football would benefit Gray more than a place on the fringes of Leeds’ Premier League squad.
After attracting interest from several Championship and League One clubs, the Whites eventually agreed to send the teenager on loan to Sheffield Wednesday earlier this month.
Read More: Real reason behind Leeds United exit decision
Chris Waddle opens up on Harry Gray at Sheffield Wednesday
The 17-year-old striker will look to impress in League One and show fans at Hillsborough why he is rated so highly at Leeds this season.
Waddle, who played for Sheffield Wednesday during his playing days, has urged the teenager to enjoy his spell at the League One club and embrace their passionate fans.
He conceded that Gray lost some of his confidence while he was playing for a struggling Rotherham side last season.
However, the former England star believes that there is no reason why he can’t find his footing and showcase his talent at Sheffield Wednesday if he embraces the Hillsborough atmosphere.
“Enjoy it”, Waddle told The Sheffield Star when asked what advice he would give Gray.
“Wednesday have great fans; I had a great relationship with them. They like skill, they like creativity, they like players with imagination.
“I saw him play for Rotherham last year — he was in a team that was struggling and probably lost a bit of confidence.
“If he comes out the blocks with Barry Bannan around him giving him experience and pointing him in the right direction, we know he’s got a lot of talent.
“The main thing at that age is to go there and enjoy it. Turning out in front of 30,000 fans — amazing.”
A return to League One made more sense
After showing plenty of promise in a struggling League One side last season, Harry Gray was widely expected to make the step up to the Championship for his next loan spell.
Interest from Sheffield United only reinforced that belief, but the young striker is instead set for another season in League One.
Leeds United’s priority was finding a club with genuine promotion ambitions that also plays an attacking brand of football, feeling that would provide the ideal environment for Gray’s continued development.
The club also believes he is far more likely to play regularly at that level. At a promotion-chasing Championship side such as Sheffield United, where Chris Wilder will be under significant pressure to secure an immediate return to the Premier League, breaking into the first team consistently could have been much more difficult for a young forward.
