Tottenham summer signing labelled a success as rising star makes most of opportunity

Archie Gray will aim to get back into the starting eleven at Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur star Archie Gray has endured a brilliant first season at the club. The teenager joined the Lilywhites after a successful stint at Leeds United last season, when Daniel Farke’s team managed to barely miss out on promotion. Daniel Levy fended off competition from a lot of top clubs for the England U-21 international’s signature and it has proved to be an absolute masterstroke.

The injury crisis at N17 has been a blessing in disguise for Archie Gray. No one expected the 19-year-old to feature in so many first team games for the Lilywhites this season, but the lack of squad depth meant that Ange Postecoglou had to use the youngster as an emergency backup. Gray has mostly played as a centre-back for Ange’s side, a position which he has never played before.

The ex-Leeds player has also played as a right-back and as a central midfielder for Spurs this season. Fans have been impressed with how easily the youngster has managed to excel in all the positions. As per Sofascore, Gray has played 41 games in all competitions for Spurs, recording a staggering 2,903 minutes for the first team.

Archie Gray has not featured in recent games for Tottenham

Even though it has been a successful first season for Archie Gray at Tottenham, the teenager has not played in a lot of games in recent weeks. Ange Postecoglou has benched the 19-year-old in recent games and that has created a stir amongst the fans. Many pundits have also urged Gray to consider his future if the lack of game time continues to hinder his progress.

But Paul Robinson believes that limited game time should not concern Archie Gray right now. The ex-player told Tottenham News,

“I don’t think he could have even dreamt of playing the amount of games that he has done, or the big games that he has this season. And if such an impact is getting applauded, it’s an accolade from everywhere. And I think you look at the season as a whole, it’s a great season..”

Robinson added,

“You micromanage the last few games. You can say he’s not played and he’s not played a part. But obviously, over the course of the season, you look at the percentage of games that he’s played, and even more so, the percentage that he started. I just think the whole season has been a success for him. I don’t think you can read too much into it. You go 12 games into next year, if he’s not playing, then we might have that conversation.”

Paul Robinson suggested that no one expected Archie Gray to play so many games in the first season. The ex-player also insisted that Gray has endured a great campaign and made a meaningful impact at the club. Robinson also said that it should not be a concern if the 19-year-old has not featured in recent games. But he urged that if this trend continues in the first few games next season, then it might be something to be concerned about.

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With Tottenham currently shifting all their focus towards the Europa League, Ange Postecoglou should consider giving Archie Gray some game time in the upcoming Premier League games. This will help the 19-year-old retain his match fitness and it will also give Big Ange a chance to monitor his progress.