Previous until this, Leeds United was unable to offer Archie Gray a longer contract because of the stringent regulations pertaining to players under the age of 18.
Phil Hay claims that this is the case, since the Elland Road star inked a new contract with the team in January [official Leeds United website, January 16].
The midfielder, who has largely been utilised at right-back this season, turned 18 on Tuesday (12 March), with his new deal now having kicked in after that milestone, according to Hay.
“It was signed a while back,” Hay said on The Square Ball (15 March). “Around two months ago, I think it was January time when he agreed that extension. Our understanding at the time was that it would kick in when he turned 18, so they’ve got him on longer terms, so that runs until 2028.
“When you’re 17 and you’re first able to sign a pro contract, the rules on how long you can sign are very strict, so you can’t just give somebody a 10-year deal in the way that they would probably have loved to have given Gray a 10-year deal.
“But this now ties him down until 2028, which is a long, long stretch, by which time he’ll just about be into his 20s.”
Archie Gray, a star for Leeds United, is thriving under Daniel Farke.
Daniel Farke has entirely turned Leeds’ fortunes around since the Whites were relegated from the Premier League last season, and the team is looking pretty good under his leadership.
After a very difficult season in the top division the previous time around, they appear certain to return right away because of their outstanding performances in the Championship.
A number of players have made an impression, including youthful talent Gray (18 years old), who has played a major role under Farke in every competition.
Given his age, it is even more remarkable that he has made 40 appearances so far this season.
Although Gray’s career still has a long way to go, he is already shining brightly, and the Elland Road supporters are well aware of the extremely gifted player they have on their team.
Unsurprisingly, though, there appears to be a lot of interest in the young player from other teams, and even though Gray has only recently inked a new contract in West Yorkshire, the Whites may soon need to fight very hard to cling onto him.
