Gray learns from mistakes to continue rapid rise
LONDON: Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy has long been seen as the rags-to-riches success story, going from non-league to the Premier League, but Watford’s Andre Gray has followed a similar path in a shorter time despite making mistakes along the way.
After being released by local side Wolverhampton Wanderers and then Shrewsbury Town, striker Gray signed for nonleague Hinckley United, and initially struggled to get among the goals.
Off the pitch, Gray got in with the wrong crowd, becoming involved in Wolverhampton’s gang culture, during which time he got a nasty scar on his cheek after an incident in late 2011.
Then with one transfer Gray’s life changed. After impressing against Luton Town for Hinckley, he earned a move to the thenConference Premier club in 2012, and the rest is history.
“The Luton move was a chance for me to move away from everything in my home town, live on my own and get back into playing full-time football again,” Gray said. “I would have rather signed for Luton over Wolves at the time — I needed to get away from everything and not be around certain stuff.
“We played Luton in the FA Trophy and I did alright against them. A month later it all came about and I ended up going there and hitting the ground running. I have never looked back since then.”
Gray’s goals for Luton — 47 in 88 league games after a short spell on loan there — attracted plenty of suitors, with Championship club Brentford securing his services in 2014.
The step up did not phase him as he scored 18 goals in 47 league appearances, attracting the attention of Burnley who broke their transfer record to sign Gray for £9 million (RM49 million) the following year.
Burnley won promotion to the Premier League in Gray’s first season there, and the journey to the top was complete.
However, Gray’s past reared its ugly head once more in 2016, when homophobic tweets he sent in 2012 were discovered, leading to an FA suspension.
“I already had my learning curve long before the tweets came out,” Gray added. “If it was really recent then it would have bothered me more, but it didn’t affect me too much as I knew how far I’d come and what kind of person I’d become.”
Burnley manager Sean Dyche stuck by Gray throughout the episode, and that faith was rewarded as the forward continued to score in the Premier League, with nine goals last season.
“I am surprised he (Dyche) is still there,” Gray said. “Most managers in his position would be at a bigger club.
“I think he is building something fantastic. He is a great manager, and is great for all the players.”
The next step for Gray was another club-record move, this time to Watford for a reported fee of £18 million before the start of this season.
“It is a bit crazy to think that I am here,” Gray said. “I started late, in terms of development, but I am still only 26. Jamie Vardy is 31, and didn’t reach his peak until his was 29, so there is much to look forward to.”