At a glance:
- Roberto De Zerbi heaps praise on Archie Gray
- Englishman tipped to become Tottenham captain
- Current skipper Cristian Romero likely to leave
Tottenham look rejuvenated under Roberto De Zerbi as they continue to fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
After 15 games in the competition without a win, they are now on a run of successive wins against Wolves and Aston Villa.
Despite missing key players, De Zerbi has got his Tottenham players on board and they finally look like they are playing as a unit.
However, one player who has been sidelined in recent weeks is Archie Gray.
And ahead of the game against Leeds United, the Italian showered big praise on the youngster, signaling that he is a big part of the club’s future.
Archir Gray tipped to captain Tottenham
Gray has arguably been Tottenham’s player of the season so far. He has been utilised in multiple positions and has excelled regardless of where he has played, which is a sign that his maturity belies his age.
However, Gray has dropped to the bench for each of Tottenham’s last three games, with the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Conor Gallagher and Joao Palhinha getting the nod ahead of him.
Read More: Massive twist emerges in Micky van de Ven’s Tottenham future
De Zerbi believes the youngster’s versatility is both a boon and a bane as he tipped him to captain the club at some point in the future.
“He is very young, (but) big potential as a player,” said the Italian in his pre-match press conference.
“I think he can become the future. I am sure he can become the future of this club, the captain of this club and he has to understand better what will be his position on the pitch.
“He can play in a lot of positions, but maybe I would like him to be more specific in one position.
“We are working on that, in individual meetings with individual clips for me and anyway he is an important player. Palhinha did not play the first three games and the fourth was one of the best players on the pitch.”
Who will captain Tottenham after Cristian Romero?
Cristian Romero has been linked with a Tottenham departure in the summer and is currently out with an MCL injury.
In his absence, Micky van de Ven has worn the armband, although his long-term future also remains in doubt.
If both players leave in the summer, De Zerbi will be tasked with appointing a new club captain.
Pedro Porro could be one of the candidates and judging by how his tenure has gone so far, De Zerbi could even turn to Gallagher.
However, in the long-term, Gray will certainly emerge as a candidate and will get the armband if he stays around long enough and continues to develop on the same trajectory.
