Brighton star pictured in Tottenham shirt in new social media message
Archie Gray and Georginio Rutter have both enjoyed successful seasons after their departures from Leeds United last summer.
Leeds‘ loss to Southampton in the 2024 Championship play-off final saw several of their top talents be picked off by Premier League clubs, as Spurs and Brighton pounced for Gray and Rutter respectively.
Daniel Farke’s side made no such error this time around and will meet both Tottenham and the Seagulls in the top-flight next season, with Leeds set to face both their former midfielders in the coming autumn.
Rutter scored eight goals in all competitions in his debut season at Brighton and started half their league matches, while Gray featured 46 times for Tottenham and played in their Europa League Final victory.
Rutter wears Gray shirt after Tottenham success
Gray‘s success since leaving Elland Road has continued into the summer, as his versatility in midfield and defence paid dividends as Lee Carsley‘s England side won the 2025 Under-21 European Championships.
Harvey Elliott, Omari Hutchinson and Jonathan Rowe’s goals made the difference in a 3-2 win over rivals Germany in the decider on Saturday, as England defended the title they won against Spain back in 2023.
The second-youngest member of England‘s squad, Gray started the first two matches at right-back but was limited to just a minute of action in the semi-final thereafter, but still picked up a winners’ medal.
Rutter paid tribute to Gray in a post on Instagram (29 June) documenting his off-season, and after one image showed the Frenchman in a ‘GRAY 14’ Tottenham shirt, the 19-year-old reacted with three ‘love heart’ emojis.
Archie Gray set for increased prominence at Tottenham
Football Insider Verdict
Although Carsley returned to England’s Under-21 setup after a brief spell in charge of the senior side last autumn, Ange Postecoglou will get no such luxury after Daniel Levy’s decision to sack the Australian at Spurs.
Postecoglou was fired after a 17th-placed Premier League finish despite winning the Europa League, and his successor Thomas Frank will put Gray at the heart of his first-team plans at Tottenham next season.
Frank was a huge fan of Gray’s while at Brentford and came close to signing him before Tottenham did last summer, and after he name-checked the 19-year-old in his first Spurs interview, expect Gray’s minutes to be firmly on the rise.