Ange Postecoglou makes a confident claim about Archie Gray after his first Premier League start for Tottenham at the Vitality Stadium.
Gray, who has previously been restricted to starts in the Europa League and Carabao Cup, was handed the first Premier League start of his career against Bournemouth.
It was a tough night for the 18-year-old as the Lilywhites struggled to deal with Bournemouth’s counter-attacks, with the home side emerging comfortable winners.
Gray started as a right-back but had to move to an unfamiliar central defensive role for the final 30 minutes of the game as Ben Davies was forced off with a hamstring injury.
The Leeds academy graduate will be hoping that this is the first of many Premier League appearances he makes for Spurs, and Postecoglou believes that the youngster will be better for having experienced a tough night.
The Tottenham boss insisted that the teenager’s experience at the South Coast on Thursday evening will be invaluable for his development.
When asked about Gray‘s outing, Postecoglou said (via Alasdair Gold): “He’ll be better for it. It was a good experience for him, it wasn’t easy, it was tough, particularly when we put him at centre-back but it will do him the world of good, make him a better player and “a stronger personality for our football club.”
It would be unfair to judge Gray too harshly, given that he is just 18 years of age, but from his outings so far this season, it seems clear that he is not yet well suited to playing as a right-back.
He is still very much learning his ropes in that role, particularly when it comes to defending one-v-one.
The youngster would be hoping to soon get an opportunity to show what he can do in the middle of the park, which is where he made a name for himself at Leeds.
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