Aaron Lennon reveals what people say about Archie Gray behind the scenes

Aaron Lennon is a big fan of Tottenham youngster Archie Gray, but even he has been left shocked by how well the former Leeds United player has done in his first season at the North London club.

While Tottenham’s injury crisis has severely hampered the club’s prospects of challenging at the top end of the Premier League table this season, the one silver lining to come from the bloated injury list is the fact that several teenagers have had opportunities to showcase their class.

Many of them have stepped up and demonstrated why there is so much excitement about their talent, none more so than Archie Gray.

The Leeds academy graduate has surprised everyone with the way he has seamlessly slotted in at centre-back, a position he had not played before this season.

Aaron Lennon left shocked by Tottenham’s Archie Gray

Lennon believes that the future is bright for Tottenham, claiming that the Lilywhites have an amazing assortment of young talent in the first team at the moment.

The former Spurs winger reserved special praise for Gray, admitting that he has been shocked by how the teenager has seamlessly adapted to football at the highest level after making a switch from the Championship last term.

Lennon told Football.London: “There’s a lot of good young players (at Tottenham). Obviously, I know Archie quite well from his Leeds days. I’d watched him a lot. I knew how good he was. It’s even shocked me how good he’s been this season again and what he’s gone on to. He’s taken it to another level, and especially in the positions he’s had to play.

“There’s a few similarities there and they’ve got [Lucas] Bergvall, who is obviously a quality player. [Djed] Spence has been brilliant coming in now, and you’ve got Mikey Moore. They’ve got a lot of talented young lads. Is it going that way [with the youth rebuilds of the past], I’m not quite sure, but they’ve definitely got potentially some really, really top players.

“When I went back to Leeds in the back end of the last season, he was just with the first team, but around the place he was always a great lad. The staff who had had him before spoke so highly of him just as an individual. They were just like ‘Aaron, trust me, you won’t meet a better lad’, that he was an unbelievable pro but just such a nice kid, and he strikes me as that.”

Lennon is not in any doubt about Gray’s best position

Gray admitted last week that he does not mind playing wherever Postecoglou wants him to, insisting that playing in different positions helps fast-forward his development as a footballer.

However, Lennon is convinced that the teenager will end up in central midfield, admitting that he would love to see the youngster being given a go in the middle of the park.

The 37-year-old added about Gray: “I watched him play a lot at full-back for Leeds, but I’ve also watched him a lot playing in the middle of the park. I think his best position is still in the middle. When he played against Chelsea for Leeds he was honestly unbelievable.

“So for me, he’s still going to be a central midfielder, and I’m actually gutted for him that he’s not managed to get more minutes there because I do think he could have a big influence on this team playing in the centre of the park. Obviously, with the injury problems, he’s had to fill in in various roles, which he’s done unbelievably well at.

“I think his time will come. I think if you ask him, he’ll say where he wants to play, he’ll tell you in the middle of the park, and once the injured players come back and it might be next season now, who knows, but I think it will be amazing to see Archie get in the centre of the pitch.”

READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou answers the big Archie Gray midfield question at Tottenham

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