Archie Gray shows classy moment after being handed new role to please Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou

Archie Gray's football education continued at pace on Monday night as the Tottenham Hotspur teenager was selected in a new role for the Under-21s.

The 18-year-old has played in various different roles for Ange Postecoglou since arriving at Spurs in a £40million deal from Leeds United in the summer. Primarily a central midfielder, Gray has been trusted by his new boss to play as a right-back and also as a central defender on a couple of occasions, a role he had never previously undertaken before.

The youngster is currently on England U21s duty during this international break and after playing as the right-back in a back four in Friday's 0-0 friendly draw at Spain, Gray was handed another new role this season as he took up the task of being the right-sided centre-back in a back three as England drew with the Netherlands on Monday evening.

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It was a fluid formation that was a back three in possession and occasionally a back four out of possession with Samuel Iling-Junior dropping back into a left-back role from high up the pitch as a raiding wing-back.

Gray's Tottenham team-mate Dane Scarlett, currently on loan at Oxford United, opened the scoring just five minutes in at Yanmar Stadion in Almere when he powered a diving header into the net from Iling-Junior's looping cross. It was Scarlett's second goal for the U21s and continued his good form of recent weeks after a tough start to his latest loan move with game time previously at a premium with the Championship club.

Gray then showed his classy nature after racing back to defend a Dutch counter attack only for the flying Dutch left-back Bjorn Meijer to suddenly pull up in pain holding his thigh and sinking to the floor. The Tottenham man wasted no time in getting across to the Netherlands player to check he was ok. Meijer unfortunately wasn't and needed to be replaced by Neraysho Kasanwirjo just 13 minutes into the game. The game ended eventually in a 1-1 draw.

With Rodrigo Bentancur set to miss the next seven domestic matches following his ban, Postecoglou will be delighted to see Gray getting further exposure to defending and discipline against difficult opponents. For the teenager could finally get his chance in midfield in the weeks ahead as Yves Bissouma will not be able to handle the workload alone.

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