Tottenham Hotspur and former Leeds United standout Archie Gray recently revealed which ex-teammate continues to impress him and whom he would like to play against, as the two could be opponents at the international level soon.
Leeds forward Mateo Joseph was in stunning form on Thursday, scoring a first-half hat-trick in Spain U21’s 4-3 win over Kazakhstan. Galymzhan Kenzhebek gave Kazakhstan an early lead in the 12th minute, but Joseph quickly equalized, bringing the score to 1-1.
Beñat Turrientes then put Spain ahead after 20 minutes, followed by two more goals from Joseph before halftime. The 20-year-old was substituted for Hugo Alvarez after 60 minutes, just before Spain conceded two more goals, making for a tense finish at the Estadio Municipal de La Línea de la Concepción.
Joseph’s hat-trick in Cádiz marks another impressive international performance. Since switching allegiances earlier this year, he has five goals in five games. Spain’s U21s will wrap up their October international window with a match against Malta on Tuesday evening in Algeciras.
Archie Gray applauds Matteo Joseph’s 2024-25 form
With Joseph taking a more prominent role at Leeds and the U21 side for Spain, Gray praised the steps his former teammate has taken this season. Moreover, the teenager notes his desire to play against him in the future, which could happen at the club or international level.
The two former teammates could face off as early as next year, with a potential reunion as opponents at the U21 Euros next summer.
“Mateo is doing brilliant. He scored a hat trick, I think it was last night,” Gray told the Yorkshire Evening Post after England’s win over Ukraine which all but qualifies Futcher’s Young Lions for the tournament in Slovakia next June.
“He’s doing well for Leeds, we came through the ranks together since Under-18s. And you know, I’m still really close with him, really good friends, and I’m always looking out for him, how he’s doing. It’d be amazing to play against him and I’d really enjoy it.”
If these two clash next summer, there will undoubtedly be many Leeds supporters watching them, wondering what could’ve been if they had both of these young talents.
Leave a Reply