‘Cornerstone For The Future’ – Daniel Farke Backs Leeds United Talent | OneFootball

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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has revealed that Harry Gray is one of the players the Whites are keen to build around in the future, after the highly-rated starlet signed his first professional contract.

Gray, who recently turned 17, put pen to paper this week to a contract and ended any speculation that Leeds might lose him.

He joins his brother, father, great-uncle and grandfather in signing professional terms with the west Yorkshire club.

Farke said that, given how tedious negotiations are in modern football, Gray’s contract negotiations were relatively effortless, aided by the family’s connections with the club.

The German manager revealed that the club had always envisaged a future in which Gray would be an essential building block.

Farke told a press conference (10:40): “Nowadays, it’s always complicated.

“There are agents involved and the contract is 48 pages and the lawyers are looking over it.

“It lasts a while, but this once it was relatively straightforward because we have big trust between not only Harry, but also his whole family with the club, the connection and how big the identification is.

“It was always our plan, cornerstone for the future we have.

“We make sure that promising players like Harry sign new contracts anyhow because we also want to develop our own talents and for that it was relatively straightforward.

“The quality in a young player, of course it lasted a bit longer until everything was negotiated.”

Farke also revealed that Gray had another reason to celebrate, with the youngster returning to team training the same day he signed the contract.

“I am pretty glad that it is over the line and he is able to sign his first professional contract. He’s also back in team training since yesterday.”

Gray made his senior debut in the Championship against Stoke City last season and stated his belief that his career goal of appearing in the Premier League with Leeds is attainable after signing the contract.

Farke last month was non-committal on when Gray’s debut in the Premier League would come, saying that he will play him when he is ready.

Gray’s brother, Archie, made the switch from Leeds to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2023/24 season, while Oliver Boast was prised away this summer, making the same move.

Any fears that Harry Gray too will follow suit have been put to bed, at least for now, with Harry’s great-uncle and Leeds legend Eddie, tipping him to follow in the footsteps of Archie in becoming a regular for the Whites.

Farke has more immediate concerns to turn to, with a fixture against West Ham United on the horizon and a few players in his squad struggling with illnesses.