Daniel Farke, the manager of Leeds United, is happy with how Archie Grey was treated during the international break.
In the 3-0 loss to Italy last week, Grey participated in his only match for the England U20s as a result of an agreement Leeds and the Three Lions reached.
After Farke gave Grey a few days off during his pre-match press conference, Grey decided to return to Leeds rather than play in the second match against Germany.
This is a far cry from how Grey was treated when he played all three games for England U19s during the October break, which infuriated Farke.
After that, Gray’s first two games back at Leeds left him noticeably worn out; as a result, he was given the day off against Huddersfield Town to recover.
Gray finally being handled properly
Farke thinks Grey has already outperformed teams like the England U20s and that it is wise to give him a break now in order to maximise his long-term benefits for Leeds and possibly his nation.
He declared, “I’m overjoyed.” For him, it was the right decision. Since he is already 17 years old, we need to ensure his mid- and long-term future. He will be important to England’s future, so we shouldn’t put too much emphasis on developing him at the youth levels. We need to confirm the appropriate time frame. When he came back, we eased the pressure and granted him a day or two off. He is revitalised and renewed. I am appreciative.
For someone his age, Grey has already played an incredible amount of football this season, so it’s encouraging to see Leeds and England looking out for him.
When young players are overplayed at this point in their careers, it can have negative effects later on. Because so much football is played these days, serious injuries seem to be happening more frequently.
Grey might be used even less frequently in the upcoming weeks now that Djed Spence is back to full training, but he will undoubtedly still be an important member of Farke’s team.
