One of the most notable players in Leeds United’s history over the past 25 years or so is certainly Rio Ferdinand. The former England centre-back only spent two seasons at Elland Road, between 2000 and 2002, but certainly left a huge impact on the club.
Ferdinand, who has gone into punditry and presenting since his retirement, played 73 times in West Yorkshire and was a key figure in the heart of the defence. He skippered the club on numerous occasions, including during their famous Champions League run of 2000/01, where he helped them reach the semi-final.
ferdinand-leeds-premier-league-transfer
Since Ferdinand’s days at the club, there have been a couple of other notable English talents ply their trade at Elland Road.
Leeds’ notable English talents since Ferdinand
It is certainly hard to find a player as good as Ferdinand was, yet, through their academy, the Whites produced a couple of big names. One of those was Kalvin Phillips, who was lovingly dubbed the “Yorkshire Pirlo” for his ability to control the game at the heart of midfield.
Kalvin Phillips for Leeds United
Now 29 years of age, Phillips played 234 games for his boyhood club after graduating from their academy. He was pivotal to their success in returning to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa and England’s run to the final of Euro 2020.
Eventually, he earned a big move to Manchester City, although his career has stalled since.
Another player who could be considered one of Leeds’ most talented since Ferdinand is Archie Gray. The 19-year-old now plays for Tottenham Hotspur and helped them win the Europa League last season.
Like Phillips, Gray is an academy graduate and only had one full season at Elland Road before the Lilywhites snapped him up. He played 52 games for his boyhood club before departing for North London, a huge £30m move which highlighted his talent.
archie-gray-tottenham-leeds-premier-league
As good as Phillips and Gray are, there is someone in the Leeds academy who could be considered their best talent since Ferdinand.
Leeds’ most talented player since Ferdinand
It is always a proud moment when you bring a player through the academy and into the first team, like Phillips and Gray. Ferdinand, of course, came through West Ham United’s academy before his move to Leeds.
Well, the man who could be their biggest talent since the centre-back is Harry Gray, the younger brother of Archie. At just 17 years of age, Gray has already made his debut for the club and has shone at youth level.
Harry-Gray
The England under-17 striker made his debut for the first team last season, with Daniel Farke giving him a four-minute cameo in the 6-0 win over Stoke City. He was also on the bench for the 3-1 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers this season.
The Whites academy graduate has proven why he is “the real deal,” as football analyst Ben Mattinson put it, for the youth sides. Gray has 15 goals and two assists in just 24 appearances for the under-18s and under-21s side combined.
Gray - Leeds academy record
Stat
Games
Minutes
Goals
Assists
Misn per G/A
Stats from Transfermarkt
One of the standout moments from Gray’s campaign so far is the hat-trick he scored against Scunthorpe United.
Donning the number nine shirt, you can see from this one game that the striker possesses pace, a real instinct in the box and the ability to score a range of goals.
It is easy to see why you might consider the 17-year-old to be Leeds’ best talent since Ferdinand was at the club. In a separate post on X, Mattinson described him as “one of England’s best prospects in his generation", while evoking a certain Harry Redknapp when suggesting that he's "going to the very top".
Harry-Gray-Leeds
With the numbers he puts up and the skillset he possesses, it feels like only a matter of time before Gray breaks into the first-team for his boyhood side and makes a real name for himself.