Leeds United have announced that academy graduate Archie Gray has signed his first professional deal.
The 17-year-old has agreed to a two-and-half-year contract.
Gray has been with Leeds since 2014 and will look to become a first-team regular.
The England youth international is yet to make his competitive debut for the Elland Road outfit.
However, he has trained regularly with the senior team and was named on the bench several times last term.
An agreement had to be reached between Leeds and Gray’s school last season for him to miss classes to train with the first team, at the request of former manager Marcelo Bielsa.
He was 15 when the Argentine named him in the matchday squad against Arsenal in December 2021.
Gray went on to make the bench a further five times that season, but he featured regularly for the Whites under-23s.
He captained England’s under-16s and has regularly captained the country’s under-17s since making his debut.
Gray signed a two-year scholarship with Leeds last September and they quickly handed him a pro deal a few days after he turned 17.
He has since completed his GCSEs and will look to concentrate fully on his career.
Gray will be eager to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by playing for Leeds first team.
His debut is a matter of time, but it could have come sooner.
Gray was stretchered off with an ankle injury during the pre-season tour of Australia.
He was struck with a virus before the Carabao Cup tie against Barnsley last August.
Leeds are playing to secure their Premier League status and are 19th in the table after 26 games.
Gray may have to wait until that is achieved before making his debut.
