It wouldn’t be surprising if Tottenham Hotspur’s Archie Gray made it into Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad, but the stats suggest that a Leeds United player is more deserving of the call-up than Gray.
The 18-year-old has become a regular in Tottenham’s starting lineup over recent months, mainly due to the significant injury crisis affecting Ange Postecoglou’s squad. Gray has primarily played as a centre-back but has also featured at right-back and left-back, which has led Ally McCoist to feel sympathetic towards the young Spurs defender. Gray could well be included in Tuchel’s squad when England face Albania and Latvia in March.
Tuchel is reportedly open to selecting players from the Championship for his England squad, with Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford likely to be part of the conversation, given Burnley’s solid defensive record.
However, according to a recent report by the CIES Football Observatory, a Leeds United player is actually more deserving of an England call-up than Gray—Jayden Bogle, who has been in superb form recently.
CIES, known for its extensive data and analysis, compiled a list of 10 English players under the age of 25 who have yet to receive an England call-up but are deserving of one. Bogle ranks fourth on this list, ahead of Gray, who sits eighth. Gray is currently a regular for England’s U21 side.
CIES Football Observatory’s Top 10 U25 English Players Deserving of Their First England Call-Up:
1. Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) – 22 years old – 87.3
2. Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund) – 20 years old – 85.0
3. Keane Lewis-Potter (Brentford) – 23 years old – 82.3
4. Jayden Bogle (Leeds United) – 24 years old – 80.8
5. Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa) – 23 years old – 80.5
6. Archie Brown (Gent) – 22 years old – 79.7
7. Sam McCallum (Sheffield United) – 24 years old – 79.1
8. Archie Gray (Tottenham) – 18 years old – 79.0
9. Danny Namaso (Porto) – 24 years old – 79.0
10. Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) – 19 years old – 78.9
Ironically, Gray, who mostly played as a right-back for Leeds last season, was replaced at Elland Road by Bogle, who arrived for £5m. Bogle has since shown more consistency than Gray in that position. Although Gray’s potential is undoubtedly higher, Bogle has been a more reliable option at right-back for Leeds, contributing directly to six goals.
After Leeds’ 4-0 win over Watford, Junior Firpo praised Bogle on Instagram, calling him the best right-back in the league. If Tuchel is looking for a right-back, Bogle could prove to be a solid pick.
£5m Leeds United star found to be more deserving of a shock England call-up than Tottenham’s Archie Gray
