Leeds United's youngest-ever players as Harry Gray enters Elland Road history books — YEP 22/4/25
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By Joe Donnohue
Leeds United teenager Harry Gray made history on Easter
Monday this year by becoming the fourth-youngest player ever to represent the
club.
Gray’s debut could hardly have been timed much better as
Leeds romped to a 6-0 win over Stoke City and promotion back to the Premier
League.
The 16-year-old was front and centre of celebrations as his
boyhood club finally escaped the Championship at the second time of asking.
Gray’s debut makes him the youngest member of his
illustrious family to pull on the white shirt of Leeds, beating elder brother
Archie’s record which was set at the beginning of last season.
Here, the YEP recaps the 15 youngest players to represent
Leeds and where they are now.
1. Tommy Wright: 17 years, 3 months and 6 days
Scottish winger Wright played for Leeds between 1983 and
1986, scoring 28 times in 92 appearances as a youngster at Elland Road. He went
on to represent Oldham Athletic, Middlesbrough and Leicester City, before
undertaking various assistant coaching and caretaker roles in the EFL.
2. Rob Bowman: 17 years, 2 months and 16 days
Defender Bowman featured seven times for Leeds in league
football before leaving for Rotherham United in 1997. He then spent three years
at Carlisle United before a brief spell at Bohemians in Ireland.
3. Sam Chambers: 17 years, 2 months and 15 days
Daniel Farke handed Chambers his senior debut in the 3-0
league win over Plymouth Argyle earlier this season.
4. Billy Bremner: 17 years, 1 months and 14 days
A Elland Road legend whose statue adorns the stadium's
south-east corner. 'King Billy' played 772 times for Leeds and won 54 caps for
Scotland.
5. Martin Dickinson: 17 years and 19 days
Young centre-half Dickinson played over 100 times for Leeds
during the 1980s, moving on to represent West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield
United before retiring in 1989.
6. Terry Connor: 17 years and 8 days
A young striker born in the city, Connor would score 19
times for the Whites before continuing his career elsewhere with the likes of
Brighton, Portsmouth and Swansea. He coached Wolverhampton Wanderers briefly in
2012 and is renowned for his role as long-time assistant to Mick McCarthy.
7. Ryan Edmondson: 16 years, 11 months and 16 days
The striker made an appearance at the end of the 2017/18
campaign but would only take to the field for his boyhood club one more time.
Loans followed, then a permanent switch to Carlisle United. He now plays for
former Thorp Arch academy coach Mark Jackson's Central Coast Mariners in
Australia.
8. Jimmy Greenhoff: 16 years, 10 months and 26 days
One of the youngest debutants of the Don Revie era,
Greenhoff played 133 times for Leeds, scoring 36 goals. He went on to represent
Birmingham, Stoke and Manchester United. He was a League Cup and Fairs Cup
winner with Leeds in 1968.
9. Simon Walton: 16 years, 10 months and 25 days
Midfielder Walton played regularly during his first season
at Elland Road but eventually he and the club parted ways, after 38 total
appearances. He initially spent time at several clubs in the EFL before
dropping into non-league later in his career.
10. Aidy White: 16 years, 10 months and 16 days
The experienced full-back burst onto the scene as a
16-year-old at Elland Road making over 100 appearances as a youngster. He
recently retired from the game after representing Hearts in the Scottish
Premiership and Rochdale.
11. Neil Aspin: 16 years, 10 months and 8 days
Defender Aspin made 244 appearances for Leeds throughout the
1980s before joining Port Vale where he also became something of a stalwart,
appearing over 300 times for the Valiants. He has also managed Harrogate Town,
Halifax Town and Gateshead since hanging up his boots.
12. James Milner: 16 years, 10 months and 6 days
One of Elland Road's most famous sons, Milner is a
three-time Premier League winner with Manchester City and Liverpool after
breaking through at Leeds. He is still regarded as one of the most dependable
players in modern English football history.
13. Harry Gray: 16 years, 6 months and 13 days
Teen forward Gray made his Elland Road bow on April 21 as
Leeds were promoted back to the Premier League. He becomes the fourth-youngest
player in the club's history and the youngest of five Gray family members to
pull on the white shirt.
14. Aaron Lennon: 16 years, 4 months and 7 days
Electric winger Lennon is Leeds' second-youngest ever
player, making his bow in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur back in
2003. His career has taken him to major international tournaments with England
and Wembley Stadium as a League Cup winner with Spurs in 2008.
15. Tom Elliott: 16 years, 2 months and 25 days
Shortly after turning 16 back in 2007, imposing forward
Elliott made his Leeds debut. His debut under Dennis Wise would be one of only
four outings for the club, before enjoying a relatively successful career in
the EFL with the likes of Cambridge United, AFC Wimbledon and Salford City.
16. Peter Lorimer: 15 years, 9 months and 19 days