Leeds United’s U21 side put Scunthorpe United to the sword in the National League Cup on Tuesday night. The star of the show was Harry Gray, who scored a hattrick on the night.
The youngster’s performance has sent shockwaves across the club, with many asking for him to be in the first team. Leeds have been struggling in front of goal at the start of this season, and many believe Gray is the answer to that. The 16-year old had a fantastic evening scoring three goals – one from a cutback, the second from a free kick and the last one a stunning strike from outside the box.
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Gray continues to make a name for himself at Elland Road with his start to the season.
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Liam Cresswell signs new deal with Leeds United
Credit: LUFC
The big news on Wednesday is that Gray’s teammate Liam Cresswell has penned a long-term deal with the club. The young midfielder is the captain of the U21 side at Elland Road, and is highly rated as a top talent. He has now put pen to paper on a three-year deal.
This is what Cresswell had to say about extending his stay at Thorp Arch:
“I am buzzing to sign for another three years,” the 18-year-old explained. “Hopefully, I can get some good things done this year and hopefully progress over the next three years.
“I think I have progressed a lot. Using matches against senior teams as an example, those different types of games helped me develop as a player and have made me stronger. It means a lot to wear that armband for the Under-21s, especially as a fan, as well.”
The U21 midfielder has already set his sights on the first team, after a few sessions this season.
“Training with the first team, there has been a lot more quality and high standards, so it has made me play better in training.
“In games, the Vertu Trophy and National League Cup is a good experience. Playing senior football is a lot harder but you have got to adapt to it.
“Hopefully I can train with the first team a bit more, score a few more goals and hopefully add to the team.”
Will we see the midfielder in the first team anytime soon?
Unfortunately for the youngster, his position is quite stacked. He has the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff to compete with in the middle of the park. But down the line, we could see him play a huge part in the first team. Daniel Farke has shown that sometimes he can trust young players to make an impact – as seen with Archie Gray and Harry Gray.
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