Tottenham Hotspur made it four wins from four in pre-season as they secured a last-minute 2-1 win against Chelsea.
Roberto De Zerbi named a strong starting XI, with new signing Andy Robertson and Sandro Tonali starting and Archie Gray continuing to captain the club.
The youngster has led Tottenham out in each of their last three games and has also played quite well.
And De Zerbi feels Gray is the present and the future of the club, as is the case with Lucas Bergvall.
Gray and Bergvall hailed as Tottenham’s future
Gray was fantastic for the club last season but fell out of favour during the relegation run-in after De Zerbi’s arrival.
However, the Italian’s decision to give him the armband ahead of a handful of other senior pros is a sign that he is held in high regard.
Speaking after the game, De Zerbi said he spoke to Ben Davies – who would have usually captained the team – about his idea to give the armband to Gray.
“I spoke with Ben Davies before speaking to Archie Gray, because the natural captain was Ben,” said the Italian via Football London.
“I think it has been more important for Archie than Ben because it’s giving Archie something more for his confidence.
“Last season I said he’s the future of the club but also the present. It’s important for us because he can cover two or three positions.
“I think to be a captain you have to think first for the group and the club rather than yourself and it was something more to give him.
“He deserves it. It’s the same for Bergvall. I have the same feeling for him.”
While Gray is set to stay for the long haul, Bergvall has been linked with a Tottenham departure, with teams such as Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur keeping tabs on him.
