When Archie Gray left Leeds United back in the summer of 2024, the club’s statement was like nothing we’ve ever seen.
“Everyone at Leeds is heartbroken to see one of our own depart”, it read. “Understanding the attraction of Premier League and European football, the club, with a heavy heart, agreed the transfer.”
Not in a million years did the Whites want to get rid of Gray. His grandfather, Frank Gray, is a league winner with Leeds. His father, Andy Gray, also played for the club. It simply runs in the family.
Alas, as the statement further noted, his sale “strengthened the board’s resolve to ultimately return Leeds to a position where it can meet the footballing ambitions of even its brightest stars.”
How Archie Gray broke through at Leeds
It is August 2023 and in the first game of the new Championship season, a 17-year-old Gray has just made his senior debut for Leeds.
How did it go? Well, for starters, it was Daniel Farke’s first game in charge. The result was a 2-2 draw with Cardiff City. Yes, despite the journey Leeds have been on since, it didn’t start swimmingly for the German.
Alas, he saw something in the teenager, starting him in the middle of the park. How good was the performance? Well, the youngster won the Player of the Match award.
From that moment onwards, Gray hasn’t looked back. That season he started 40 of 46 regular league games. He started every match in the play-offs too.
The academy graduate first broke through as a midfielder. His first ten league appearances saw him play in the middle. Yet, he found a home for himself at right-back.
His performances were exceptional with another versatile Leeds figure in Stuart Dallas full of praise. “Archie is different, he’s special,” the Northern Irishman once said.
His former academy coach at Leeds, Andy Wright, even went as far as to say that “he reminds me of Zidane.” Not bad praise, is it?
Do Leeds miss Archie Gray?
Despite the heartache and anguish that came with losing one of their best ever young players, Farke’s side haven’t actually missed Gray.
They moved on quickly from his departure from Elland Road, winning promotion out of the Championship in 2024/25.
Since then, Farke has worked wonders with this Leeds team, establishing them as a Premier League side to be reckoned with. Heading into the international break, the Whites sat fifth in the league table and they are unbeaten as well.
Gray would have no doubt played a vital part in that rise but they’ve not needed him. At right-back, Jayden Bogle has become one of the most underrated players in the top division.
He’s a fierce defender but he’s also better going forward than Gray. Last season, Bogle scored two goals and registered four assists. He already has a goal to his name in 2026/27 too.
In midfield, the youngster’s presence has been replaced by plenty of figures, most notably Anton Stach who has been a colossus. Their depth in that area of the pitch is strong with Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, Sean Longstaff and Ilia Gruev all fighting for places.
So, while Gray would likely have still walked into this current Leeds side, they’re getting on just fine without him.
The new Archie Gray is emerging at Leeds
Given the level Leeds have been playing at since earning promotion back to the promised land of the top-flight, it hasn’t exactly been a place for young players to develop their game.
Last season, Leeds had one of the oldest squads in the Premier League at an average age of 26.5. The only player below the age of 21 to earn any minutes was failed loanee Facundo Buonanotte (20) who appeared on only four occasions.
|
Oldest Premier League squads – 2025/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
Club |
Average age |
|
1) Fulham |
27.6 |
|
2) Aston Villa |
27.6 |
|
3) Burnley |
26.6 |
|
4) Everton |
26.6 |
|
5) Leeds |
26.5 |
It’s not as if the club don’t boast some fine young talent but Farke was never going to throw them in at the deep end during a relegation battle.
Now, with the stakes somewhat calmer, 18-year-old Jayden Lienou will be hoping to buck that trend and become the first player from the academy to play in the Premier League since they were promoted.
Despite having never played a competitive game for the first team, there is every chance he could breakthrough this season and play a mini role in Leeds’ quest to seal a place in Europe.
Why? Well, he did play a part in their pre-season preparations and he caught the eye too. With regular first teamers away at the World Cup and not turning up to pre-season until late, it meant those in the academy had to make up the numbers. Lienou was one of the main beneficiaries.
A left-back by trade, the defender earned minutes against Wrexham, Sunderland, Liverpool and RB Leipzig over the summer and caught the eye.
As a result, Leeds reporter Beren Cross has remarked that “if anyone might” stand a chance of securing first-team action this season from the academy, it will be Lienou.
While Gabriel Gudmundsson is the undisputed first choice at left-back, the lesser-spotted Melvin Bard is acting as understudy and he is only on loan at the moment. Therefore, the future is Lienou and he should be in the frame to earn minutes at some stage.
The fact is that the teenager looks like their best hope since Gray became a regular player at senior level. Lienou was voted the U21s Player of the Season last term after a seriously impressive campaign in which he played 19 times in Premier League 2.
Strong defensively, he ranked among the finest 12% of full-backs at that level last season for ball recoveries per 90 minutes while he also ranked among the highest 20% of positionally similar players for successful crosses per 90.
He’s been even better this season. In the process of making 0.67 successful crosses every 90, he sits among the best 4% of full-backs for that statistic in Premier League 2. The left-back also completes 0.33 dribbles per 90. He’s among the finest 23% in that regard.
So, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that he’s earning the acclaim of his teammates. After a first call-up to the Wales national team last May, Dan James said: “He has been brilliant this season. We have been training against him a lot. He’s a great lad.”
Leeds skipper Ampadu also commented: “I see him day in and day out at Leeds, and I know the ability he’s got and the levels he can get to, but he’s a hard-working kid. He’s young, he’s got a lot to learn, but I’m sure he can.”
With that in mind, do not be surprised to see Lienou in the first-team at stages this season. Gray has already shown there’s a pathway to breaking through as a young full-back under Farke and this fine Welshman could be next in line.
He’s a different style of player to the Spurs star but he’s a mighty fine young full-back all the same, just as Gray was when he broke through.