Marsch can save Leeds millions with "massive" Thorp Arch talent who "can run all day" - opinion

Leeds United have earned something of a reputation for developing incredibly exciting young talents in recent years, with academy product Kalvin Phillips having gone on to establish himself as one of the leading midfielders in the Premier League, while Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood and Charlie Cresswell all look to possess extremely bright futures at the very top level of the professional game.

However, there is one player currently in the Thorp Arch setup that could well go on to top the lot – that of 16-year-old Archie Gray.

After highly impressing throughout the various age groups in the Leeds academy, the attacking midfielder has gone on to establish himself as a regular in Mark Jackson’s U23 side this season – so far making ten appearances in the Premier League 2 in the current campaign.

And, the youngster’s performances already appear to have caught the eye of Jesse Marsch, who said of Gray after his display in the U23’s recent 3-0 win over Manchester United:

“I thought it was a really good performance. I know there’s massive anticipation for Archie to be a big, talented player. I think that he’s intelligent – he can read the game really well, he can run all day, he’s good on the ball.

“He’s got a lot of really good qualities to be a strong player in the middle of the field. Archie has an incredible bloodline, he’s a big talent here, a homegrown talent.

“From getting to know him as a personality I think he’s excited to be on the pitch every day. He loves football, he loves training. He has a lot of really strong qualities as a person that will help him develop rather quickly.”

Furthermore, former Leeds centre-forward Noel Whelan also appears to be extremely excited about the future of the midfielder, stating in a