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Eddie Gray: A technicolour life at Leeds United

Leeds United player, coach and manager Eddie Gray joined us on Tuesday's Football Show for a look...



Leeds United player, coach and manager Eddie Gray joined us on Tuesday's Football Show for a look back at a footballing life less ordinary.

Gray has spent the vast majority of his life involved with Leeds, signing professional terms with the club in 1966.

Since being a key player in the most trophy-laden period in the club's history, he gone on to coach and manage the club as well.

The members of that side trip from the tongues of Leeds fans: John Giles, Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter, Jack Charlton - all under the tutelage of Don Revie.

Eddie Gray on Jack: a friendly bugger

Gray spoke of his surprise when he was collected from the train station by none other than Revie and, as a 16 year-old, found himself training with the first team.

He would go on to sign terms with the club, and score on his debut in a 3-0 win against Sheffield United.

Jack Charlton, fresh from winning the World Cup in 1966, gave Gray a... traditional welcome.

"It was [unbelievable] when Don Revie pulled me out to train with the first team that day. I'll never forget it - there was a lot of snow on the ground and it was icy. 1962 was a bad winter.

"My first recollection of it was picking the ball up and nutmegging the late Jack Charlton! I knocked the ball through his legs and Jack booted me up in the air!

"I was lying in the snow and he looked down at me and said 'Don't do that to me again you little...' - you know what Jack would say."

Revie was on record as saying that Gray could run on snow and wouldn't leave footprints - was this where it originated?

"I've tried it many times and it hasn't worked - I do leave footprints in snow!"

John Giles' genius at Leeds United

Closer to this particular parish, Gray illuminated just why John Giles was such a great player; the best that Gray feels he played with.

"Different people have different opinions about the game. When people ask me who was the greatest player I played with, I would come down in favour of John.

"John is being very modest when he says that he would not be in the best Leeds United XI. I think  of all the players that I played with, more than half the team would come down in favour of John being the best player they played with."

So what made Giles so great?

"His knowledge of the game was tremendous. He had two great feet, a great passer of the ball. He scored goals and would get into great goalscoring positions.

"When I would play outside-left, he would knock the ball to me and he would have said to me before the game: 'Don't forget Eddie, I'm always just inside you on the edge of that 18-yard box.'

"It was just his general knowledge of how to play the game. John could do it all; he could win the ball, pass the ball, could get by people in tight areas.

"Billy [Bremner] had great feet by the ball, terrific feet, but John had probably the better range of passing. That is not belittling Billy in any way.

"I don't think that I have ever seen any player with better range of passing with both feet than Johnny.

"The player that I think is the best British player that I have ever seen is Bobby Charlton and Johnny is not far off that mark for me."


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Eddie Gray Jack Charlton John Giles Leeds Leeds United