'Ahead of me' - Leeds United's Dominic Calvert-Lewin gives Harry Gray Rotherham United verdict
Harry Gray is ahead of where Dominic Calvert-Lewin found himself at 17 according to Leeds United's current number 9.
Last week Gray made the decision to move to Rotherham United, where he will spend the rest of the season battling relegation from League One. Though the teenager was quick to admit he pushed to depart Thorp Arch for a temporary spell in men's football, because academy football no longer offers anything to him, what he will find in the EFL is such a far cry from Premier League 2 action with the Under 21s.
No one knows better than Calvert-Lewin that men's football is different, more physical. When he was still 17 Calvert-Lewin was farmed out to Stalybridge Celtic by his boyhood club Sheffield United and took a whack to the head on his debut. He stayed on the pitch, scored twice and has spoken in the past about how important that loan spell was as an introduction to the senior game. As war stories go, it would have been a good one for Gray to hear as he headed out the door to drive down the M1 to New York Stadium.
"I think he knows it," said Calvert-Lewin. "I didn't get the chance to see him, actually, before he's gone, he's disappeared out of the building, so I'll send him a message."
Gray made his Millers debut in Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Stockport County. He didn't find the net, like Calvert-Lewin did in his first taste of National League North football against Hyde, but the decision to cut the academy apron strings is exactly what his elder team-mate would want for him. Particularly because Gray is starting from a position of advantage compared with where Calvert-Lewin was as a striker at the same age.
"For him, he's a young lad, and I tell you what, he's ahead of me, where I was at 17," Calvert-Lewin told the YEP. "And my advice to any young player is go out and get experience and go and play men's football, go and compete for three points and feel what it's like when people are playing to put food on the table, because academy football can't give you that. And credit to him, you know, he's made that choice, and I'm wishing him all the best. I hope he goes and thrives there, and it'll be a great experience for him."
Gray was the first of two players to depart Elland Road for loan spells last week. Winger Jack Harrison also made a move, flying to Italy to secure a loan stint with Serie A side Fiorentina. The Florence club have an option to make it permanent in the summer for a fee of £6m.
A striker remains Leeds' primary focus in the remainder of the January transfer window with Jorgen Strand Larsen of Wolves among the players on their radar. An enquiry went in for the Norwegian last week but has not progressed to a deal yet. Leeds are aware of other clubs in the bottom half of the Premier League with their eyes on the centre forward.