Meet the Grays
The Gray family’s footballing legacy spans three generations, with Archie just the latest to play for Leeds. His grandfather Frank and his great uncle Eddie, both Scotland internationals, won the First Division together under Don Revie in the 1974.
Eddie Gray’s association with Leeds United as a player and coach spans five decades
Eddie Gray’s association with Leeds United as a player and coach spans five decades
Eddie, widely considered to be one of Leeds’ greatest ever players, stayed at Elland Road his whole playing career, returning in a coaching capacity on multiple occasions, while Frank went on to win the European Cup with Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough in 1980 before returning.
Archie grew up watching the latter stages of his father Andy’s career, which included two spells at Leeds. Last season, he broke into the team himself, starting 42 Championship games as Leeds narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke consoles Archie after Leeds are beaten at Wembley by Southampton
Leeds boss Daniel Farke console Archie after Leeds are beaten at Wembley by Southampton
“It makes you proud,” his great uncle Eddie tells Sky Sports. “Archie’s a young lad and he comes from a background that there’s always going to be a focus on him, especially at Leeds, and he stood up to that challenge.”
“It was great to see him play for Leeds,” adds his father Andy. ” I was very nervous at first, obviously being a Leeds supporter as well. It’s hard to detach yourself from being a supporter and a parent at the same time. Obviously it ended in tears at Wembley, but those are memories I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”
The Gray footballing lineage does not stop with Archie. He has a brother, Harry, who is at Leeds too and played in a first-team friendly over pre-season aged 15.
“Harry will follow in the same footsteps as Archie barring any accidents,” says Eddie. “He’s very talented. He’ll come through the young teams at Leeds and hopefully play for our club.”
He adds: “I think they’re close enough in age to play together one day. When Frank and I played together, he was seven years younger than me.”
Archie and Harry, just over two years apart, are no strangers to competing. “They played football in the garden from a very young age and there’s been a few tears shed, a few fights,” their father Andy recalls.
“I remember we’ve had boxing gloves out in the garden to let them get on with it a few times,” he adds. “If they were playing out in the garden, I guarantee up to the age of about 15 that they’ll be fighting. One of them will come in crying at some point.”
The romantic prospect of a second generation of Gray brothers playing together for Leeds was put on ice after the Championship play-off defeat to Southampton last season.
Archie’s time at his family’s club perhaps would have been prolonged with a different outcome, but the money on offer from the Premier League proved too enticing to turn down for Leeds.
The transition is daunting, but one Archie has been prepared for.
Joe Rodon signed for Leeds permanently in the summer as Archie headed the other way
Joe Rodon signed for Leeds permanently in the summer as Archie headed the other way
“I don’t think it will faze him,” says Eddie, a winner of two top-flight English titles. “He grew up in that environment. His grandad, my brother, his dad [being footballers at that level].”
Archie was born to play in the Premier League.
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