'Bloody knees, a scratched face' - Leeds United's Harry Gray given harsh League One welcome on Rotherham debut
The promising Leeds United youngster made his Rotherham United debut on Saturday.
Out-on-loan Leeds United striker Harry Gray experienced the physicality of League One football on his debut for Rotherham United on Saturday.
Gray joined the Millers on loan for the rest of this season last week, just a few days after the YEP exclusively broke news of the move. Leeds chiefs wanted to see their 17-year-old star enjoy senior minutes and instantly got their wish, with a first start for the League One outfit coming at Stockport on Saturday.
Rotherham came from behind twice before falling to a 3-2 defeat at Edgeley Park but despite the disappointing result, Gray got 90 minutes of senior football under his belt. And Millers head coach Matt Hamshaw was happy with what he saw from the Leeds youngster.
“It feels like a lot of things are conspiring against us at the moment,” Hamshaw told the Yorkshire Post. “It’s quite clear that some players are lacking in confidence and I understand that. That’s my job, to try and get it out of them.
“We saw the difference that Sam Nombe made and I thought Harry was good, considering he’s 17. Harry’s got bloody knees, a scratched face and all the rest of it, but that’ll do him good.”
Gray could make his home debut for Rotherham later this week, with fellow bottom half side AFC Wimbledon due at the New York Stadium on Saturday. The teenager’s loan club remain three place and five points from safety, albeit they have a game in hand on Blackpool who occupy 20th place.
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A physical 90-minute debut will have been welcomed by Leeds, who are keen to see Gray go through all the challenges of League One football. The 17-year-old had outgrown Under-21s football and speaking last week on the move, Farke described the importance of an academy star having to fight with experienced professionals.
“I think it’s a perfect first loan move for Harry,” Farke said. “It should happen step-by-step. If a player still plays youth level but trains with the first-team, it makes sense to think about a loan. You really develop when you play senior football, it’s a different animal to youth football.
“It’s so good for the personality, especially for a young striker with so much potential who scored goals for fun at youth level. A perfect spot for him to show he is physically ready for League One level. For Harry, it makes sense he’s close to family and his parent club. He has to mature and grow up in a tough environment.
“If you arrive in first-team as a youth player, you are always a superstar, always praised, play each and every game, always a bit in cotton wool. It’s important to arrive in reality, in senior football it’s dealing with setbacks, not straightforward, having to fight for positions. Have to win duels and score goals against players with trash talk, dirty fouls. This is how you grow up.”