Leeds United have had a fantastic run of homegrown talent in the first team over the last few years. Some of the players can be attributed to Victor Orta’s time at the club. The others came from Thorp Arch.
Orta spearheaded a policy to sign high potential youngsters during his time at the club. The likes of Sam Greenwood, Joe Gelhardt, Crysencio Summerville and Pascal Struijk were all signed from other clubs as teenagers. They then went through the various youth levels.
Not all of them managed to make it to the first team, but the ones who did made an impact. Greenwood and Gelhardt are under contract but are out on loan. While the likes of Ian Poveda and Kristoffer Klaesson have left the club.
Summerville progressed from youth level and broke into the team the year Leeds were relegated, and made his mark in the Championship. He won EFL Championship Player of the Year last season. Pascal Struijk also rose through the ranks and became the club captain.
QUIZ: Can you name these 10 Leeds United players from the 2000s?
Leeds United could have their next star
Credit: Imago Images
Not to be outdone, Thorp Arch also gave Leeds fans Archie Gray last season. He broke into the first team, and commanded a starting place ahead of senior players. Gray was so good, he won EFL Championship Young Player of the Year. Sadly, Tottenham swooped in and signed him for a huge fee last summer.
This season, another talent has emerged – Harry Gray. Following in the footsteps of his brother, the striker has already made his first team debut. He is highly rated, and is already drawing interest from the Premier League. Now, Eddie Gray has revealed there may be an even bigger talent upcoming. Gray revealed his late son, Stuart, has a son named Jacob in the Leeds Academy:
“His (Stuart) boy, who lives in Harrogate, is in the (Leeds) academy,” he said to The Scottish Sun.
“He’s a good player. He’ll play up front, and behind the centre-forward too.
“I don’t think Harry is the end of the line.”
Jacob Gray is not the future yet
Despite Eddie Gray’s eagerness to see more of his family succeed at Elland Road, Jacob is only just 12 years old. He has a long way before he can become like Archie and Harry Gray. But you can never rule out talent, especially with how Archie Gray broke out and shocked everybody at Leeds United when he was just 17 years old.
We will happily put up with how ever many shades of Gray there are to come!