We'll follow Sunderland up - Gray - Yorkshire Post

Leeds United 1 Ipswich Town 1
MICHAEL GRAY is confident Leeds United will next season emulate his former club Sunderland and clinch a return to the Premiership. Richard Sutcliffe at Elland Road The on-loan left-back spent 11 seasons with the Wearside club and was delighted to have played a minor role in Mick McCarthy's men sealing promotion, third-placed Ipswich now unable to catch the Black Cats after being held to a draw at Elland Road. Gray, part of the Sunderland squad relegated from the top flight in 2003, sees many similarities between his former club and Leeds, whom he firmly believes will be celebrating their own return to the Premiership in 12 months' time. The 30-year-old said: "Mick McCarthy had to rebuild the squad by scouring the divisions to bring in his own group of players. It has taken them two years to go back up and that is an example to us because I believe Leeds United will be in the Premiership come this time next season. "The manager here is very ambitious, we have a great chairman and if we can bring in four or five players this summer we will have a fantastic chance of going up. We showed against Ipswich what a good side we are becoming. "The manager will admit it wasn't our first XI but we matched the side who are in third place and if anyone was going to win, it was Leeds United." Gray, who has tasted defeat just once in nine games for Leeds, is on loan until the end of the season and Kevin Blackwell is keen to make the deal permanent. However, any possible move is dependant on Blackburn agreeing to pay a large proportion of Gray's wages. The defender is hoping a deal can be struck, even though it would mean stepping down a division. He said: "If I can come back here next season, it will be a tremendous move for me but it is not in my hands. I have a year's contract left at Blackburn and if the two clubs can come to an agreement, it will be fantastic for me because I am really enjoying it here. Everything about this club is Premiership, apart, obviously, from where we are." Mirroring Sunderland's achievement in winning promotion at the second attempt is key to United's future with the £6m per year parachute payment for relegated clubs ending after two seasons. To a club still heavily in debt and paying around £1.7m per year in rent alone, still being in the Championship come the start of the 2006-07 season would lead to a serious shortfall in revenue. Blackwell's achievement in stabilising a club which was in such a perilous position that slipping out of the top two divisions for the first time in history was a distinct possibility cannot be overstated. In doing so, he has built a decent squad, the depth of which was severely tested against Ipswich with a host of first-choice players unavailable. Despite that, Leeds more than matched the promotion-chasing visitors and were full value for a point. United's defence, a momentary lapse apart in the 12th minute when Shefki Kuqi was allowed to open the scoring with a scuffed shot, were superb with Gray a towering influence on the left. Matthew Kilgallon, an undoubted talent who has lacked consistency since breaking into the first team, also impressed and if the York-born defender can maintain the form shown against Ipswich then he will have a bright future. Leeds were level within 60 seconds of Kuqi's opener when Frazer Richardson's inviting cross was flicked into the net by Matthew Spring. After that, chances were few and far between in a game that lacked urgency, a major surprise considering Ipswich needed to win. Blackwell's side wasted a golden chance in the second half when Rob Hulse failed to pull the ball back to an unmarked Jermaine Wright and, for the visitors, Darren Currie somehow side-footed wide from 10 yards out deep into stoppage time. Those apart, however, neither side looked like breaking the deadlock and Blackwell was pleased with the efforts of his players. He said: "I think some people thought we might have had our towels on the beach by now but this is Elland Road and I was not having anyone coming here to have a party." richard.sutcliffe@ypn.co.uk Leeds United: Sullivan; Kelly, Carlisle, Kilgallon, Gray; Spring, Gregan, Einarsson (Walton 67, Wright 69); Richardson (King 88), Hulse, Moore. Ipswich Town: Price; Wilnis, De Vos, Naylor, Unsworth (Diallo 63); Miller, Horlock (Westlake 55), Magilton; Bent, Counago (Currie 70), Kuqi. Referee: C Webster (Tyne & Wear). Leeds man of the match: Gray.

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