The Leeds United hero told Leeds Live what he believes Harry Gray should do next after his Rotherham United loan spell
05:00, 27 May 2026
Harry Gray will have learnt a lot from his time at Rotherham
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Harry Gray will have learnt a lot from his time at Rotherham(Image: Zach Forster/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jermaine Beckford believes Harry Gray would benefit more from a Championship loan than fighting for first team minutes at Leeds United next season.
From January, Gray spent the second half of this season on loan at Rotherham United, in what was his first prolonged stint in senior football. The attacker started all of his 20 appearances, scoring three goals under two different managers as the Millers were relegated.
The 17-year-old - who signed his first professional deal back in October - returns to Leeds this summer now that his loan deal has ended. Gray has been included in the club's last two pre-season tours and could be taken to the US by Daniel Farke this summer.
Gray, who has made clear his desire to break into the Leeds first-team, has not played a competitive senior game for United since making his debut in April 2025. There is excitement around the future of Gray but the club are keen to carefully manage his progress.
Asked what advice he would give Gray going forward, Beckford - whose own rise came via the unconventional route of being scouted by Leeds from non-league Wealdstone - said: “Just not to rush. We all get excited because we see how much quality he's got and he is very, very good. Let's not beat around the bush.
“But we want him here for a long, long time and we want to have longevity in his career and the only way you're going to get that is by taking the right steps at the right time.
“The move to Rotherham was a good move for him on a personal level because he started to play men's football. And that's completely different to Under-21s. Now, the next step for him, I feel, has got to be the next level up from that.”
Beckford continued: “He's had that experience of League One football - he needs that experience of Championship football. I do think another loan spell next season to the Championship side - one that likes to get the ball moving, keep it on the floor, involves the strikers a lot - would be the next best move for him.
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“Then the season after I think he should be looking at forcing his way into the first team at Leeds. But that's not me saying that I don't want him to stay at Leeds next season - I do, but I'm just talking about it from his own personal growth perspective.
“I don't want him come back to Leeds and just sit on the bench. Because with all due respect, you're not going to learn loads just by sitting on the bench as you are if you go out and play regular men's team football with the physicality and the pace of it.”
Jermaine Beckford was speaking to Leeds Live courtesy of Mr Luck.