Archie talks Hearts, playing centre-back, QPR and getting to know his new team-mates…
Fri 19 July 2024, 17:15|
Tottenham Hotspur
Familiarity is breeding contentment for Archie Gray in his first weeks at Spurs.
Snapped up from Leeds United at the start of the month, that familiarity is key as Archie settles into his new surroundings, but also extends to his first pre-season matches at the Club... Archie made his debut against Hearts on Wednesday evening - he played at Tynecastle last summer for Leeds - and now he’s heading to QPR, where he’ll have less happy memories after Leeds were beaten there as recently as 26 April.
Known as a versatile player despite his tender years in footballing terms at 18, Archie was handed a new experience by Ange Postecoglou in our 5-1 win against Hearts as he started alongside Oliver Skipp at centre-back. Goals from Brennan Johnson, Will Lankshear, Mikey Moore, Djed Spence and Ashley Phillips rewarded an impressive first outing of the summer.
Speaking about the importance of these early days, Archie told us: “It's about getting used to the simple things that my team-mates like on the pitch, off the pitch, ultimately, trying to get to know them.
“They’re all brilliant and have helped me so much, especially Pedro at Hearts, I’ve not played centre-back before and he was really helpful for me. Everyone in training as well, not just when we’re playing these pre-season games, on the training pitch every day, everyone is trying to help me, and I really appreciate that. They’ve been brilliant so far.
“It was another chance to get a feel of playing the football and ultimately getting minutes in the legs. Look, Hearts are a good team, it’s always good to come here. I was here last season, it’s a good stadium, an enjoyable game, but most importantly, as I said, was to get the minutes in the legs.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to play in this team and I’m excited for the next few games. It’s important to get the minutes in the legs, understand what the manager wants, what the players want and, ultimately, what’s best for the team during a game, how we can get the most affective result and how we can play our football. QPR will be tough, they’re a good team, tight stadium, their fans are really good... it will be an exciting game.”
