Tottenham players urged to follow example of Archie Gray in relegation battle

By George Sessions, Press Association

Tottenham’s senior players have been urged to follow the example of Archie Gray if the club are to avoid a first relegation in 49 years.

Spurs are 17th after a 13-match winless run in the Premier League and with seven games left have turned to Roberto De Zerbi in a bid to retain top-flight status.

During a hugely disappointing season Gray has been a standout performer, and David Howells – who helped Tottenham avoid relegation twice in 1994 and 1997 – believes others must follow the lead of the 20-year-old ahead of Sunday’s trip to Sunderland.

“You definitely would hope that some of the older players would look across at Archie in the changing room and say, ‘look at this young man, he’s stepping up and it’s not fazing him, this is where we all need to be in terms of attitude and performance’. Yeah, absolutely he’s been the one consistent shining light,” Howells told the Press Association.

“I thought he was our best player again (against Nottingham Forest). I did say after the game against Atletico Madrid that he looked like an England midfielder, I did because he really looked the part.

“It is a credit to himself because a young lad like that, playing in a team that’s really struggling, he could sink but he’s actually gone the other way and been the best player in most of the games he has played.

“Yeah, massive credit to him and really exciting to see a young player like that at this time thinking about what he could become because the sky’s the limit.”

Gray’s consistent form for Spurs has occurred despite being used as a Swiss army knife again – after he started 18 games at centre-back during the 2024-25 campaign.

Igor Tudor only lasted seven matches at Tottenham this term but initially used Gray as a right wing-back and then left-back before the Leeds academy graduate got a run in his favoured central midfield position.

Archie Gray on target for our U21 #YoungLions! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/pKoMETxlXT

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It was a similar story under Thomas Frank, who did at least give Gray his first run in midfield, but England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley believes that versatility is a positive, especially at a time when senior boss Thomas Tuchel is assessing options for this summer’s World Cup.

“I think midfield is probably his favoured position, but I always say to young players and especially if you’re picking a squad for a tournament, if you have a player that can play right-back, centre-back and centre midfield, it’s highly valuable,” Carsley told PA.

“It is better to play than not so it is finding a way of staying in the team.”

Gray had nailed down a midfield spot under Tudor and started to show an improved passing range along with his supreme levels of fitness, but a clean slate will begin under De Zerbi.

Nevertheless, Carsley feels Gray has made a leap in his development and it should earn the teenager a starting berth during a high-pressure seven-match spell.

Carsley added: “With player development, it seems to happen in spurts… to then ‘where did that come from?’.

“Definitely Archie is in that form at the minute that he’s looking powerful, looking strong, he can run with the ball, move the ball really well and bearing in mind he’s playing in a team that is not playing well, he is standing out and that’s testament to him.”