Former Tottenham star Darren Anderton has tipped Archie Gray as a future captain for the club, while criticising current skipper Cristian Romero's leadership. Speaking exclusively to Standard Sport via BestOnlineCasino, Anderton said he could “100%” see Gray as a Spurs captain and “loves him as a player”.
Archie Gray's potential as captain
Gray, 20, joined Tottenham from Leeds in 2024 for around £40m and played 28 Premier League games in his first season under Ange Postecoglou, often featuring out of position due to injury crises. Last season, he became a regular midfielder under Thomas Frank and interim Igor Tudor, starting nine consecutive games in February and March before losing his place under Roberto De Zerbi.
Anderton expressed concern about Gray's reduced role under De Zerbi, saying: “When De Zerbi came in Archie - who's by far and away been the best player for us this season - got cast aside a little bit. So that's a bit worrying for me, because I want him in the team.” Gray started De Zerbi's first game against Sunderland, came off the bench against Brighton, but was an unused substitute until the final-day win over Everton, where he played just eight minutes.
Despite interest from other clubs, including fellow midfielder Lucas Bergvall and defender Luka Vuskovic seeking moves away, Gray appears determined to force his way into De Zerbi's plans. Anderton added: “I trust him, I back him, and I think that with the new circumstances next season he's got to be involved in it - and I think he will be. I could 100 per cent see him being a captain going forward.”
Cristian Romero's leadership questioned
Anderton's comments came after he was asked about Romero's trip to Argentina during Tottenham's relegation battle. Romero, 28, was appointed captain by Thomas Frank last year after Son Heung-Min's departure and rewarded with a new contract. However, as Spurs faced a catastrophic relegation, Romero was pictured at former club Belgrano's training ground days before the final-day decider against Everton, with Belgrano's president confirming Romero would stay in Argentina rather than return to Spurs.
Anderton criticised the saga: “I don't even know why that ever came out. A) he should never have asked and B) if he did, the manager should have just said, ‘No, f*** off out of my office’. It's pure madness. I don't like it. It's interesting that Tottenham isn't actually his priority and that's what shines through. You can't be a captain.”
The former England international also highlighted Romero's disciplinary issues: he has received six red cards since joining five years ago, including one against Manchester United in February with the score 0-0, a match Spurs lost 2-0. Anderton said: “We're playing well for 20-25 minutes and then he does something ridiculous again. Stupid tackle and from that point, we're always going to get beat. So you can't have that from your captain… you look up to your captain to lead by example and he doesn't do that.”
