Related items

• 'I don't care where I play' says 'grateful' Gray after centre-back run-out on Spurs debut

  Archie Gray is willing to play wherever Ange Postecoglou wants him to, after he featured at centre-back on his Tottenham debut.

  Gray signed for Spurs at the start of July in a deal reportedly worth up to £40million.

  The 18-year-old impressed in Leeds United's Championship campaign last season.

  However, he had to settle for an unfamiliar role in defence, alongside another midfielder - Oliver Skipp - when Spurs played Hearts in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday.

  Not that it negatively impacted the result, with Spurs cruising to a 5-1 victory; goals from Brennan Johnson, Will Lankshear, Mikey Moore and Djed Spence were added to by Lewis Neilson's own goal.

  "Definitely [a good start], it was great to get a good feel of playing the ball and getting minutes in the legs," Gray said in a post-match interview with Spurs' social media channels.

  "I wasn't expecting to play centre-back but I'm just grateful to come in and get the opportunity to play.

  "I don't really care where I play, I'm 18 and need to learn the game. Anywhere he puts me, I'm happy to learn and have great team-mates around me to teach me."

  "Just getting used to the simple things that my team-mates like on and off the pitch, trying to get to know them – today really helped," Gray continued.

  "They're all brilliant, they've all helped me so much, especially Pedro today, he was really helpful. Everyone in training, too. Every single day, everyone's trying to help.

  "I feel lucky to be watching the front players we've got – so many good players. I wouldn't say I'm lucky to play in this team, I've worked hard, but I'm excited for the next few games."

  Gray's performance earned plaudits from his new manager.

  Postecoglou said: "Archie did well. He and Skippy weren't expecting to be starting in the back four.

  "It's about guys like Archie getting accustomed to how we play, how we train – he's an intelligent kid. I knew he'd cope okay.

  "I thought he was really good, he did the things we know he can do well. He's adapting to the intensity and tempo."

• Anderton: England would have won Euro 2024 under Guardiola

  Former England winger Darren Anderton believes the Three Lions would have won the Euros if Pep Guardiola had been in charge.

  Following England's 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, the Football Association (FA) announced on Tuesday that Gareth Southgate had stepped down as manager.

  Since then, a host of names have been linked with the vacant job, with Eddie Howe and Graham Potter among the reported frontrunners.

  One of the others being linked with the position is Guardiola, who is going into the final year of his contract at Manchester City.

  The Spaniard won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title with the Citizens last season, though conceded at the end of the campaign he was "closer to leaving than staying".

  Guardiola expressed an interest in managing a national team in the past, and Anderton, who represented the Three Lions at Euro 1996, is confident he would bring England success.

  "I think the best way to address it is that if Pep managed this squad for this tournament, I think we would have won it, and we would have probably won it pretty comfortably," Anderton told Stats Perform.

  Guardiola's long-time rival Jurgen Klopp has also been mooted as an option following his departure from Liverpool after nearly nine years at the club.

  Klopp was approached by the United States after they sacked head coach Gregg Berhalter in the wake of a disappointing Copa America campaign, but the German rebuffed that offer as he continues his sabbatical.

  However, Anderton thinks Klopp would be a great fit for England.

  "We know what he's all about, he knows what English football's all about," Anderton said. "Successful, plays an exciting brand of football.

  "I think he gets the best out of players. Players seem to love him, want to play for him. I think he would play a brand of football that we'd be excited by.

  "He's another one that I could totally understand if he were to be offered it. I don't think you can go wrong at all, apart from just the non-English aspect."

  Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman is another name in the mix, though she has already labelled the links as "inappropriate".

  Wiegman led England's women to Euros glory in 2022, while also guiding them to their first-ever World Cup final, which they lost to Spain.

  Despite the 54-year-old's success, Anderton admits he would be shocked if the FA chose to appoint her.

  "I understand a name being thrown in. I just feel that that wouldn't work," Anderton added.

  "Obviously, the two games are totally different. She has been incredibly successful, but I just can't see that happening.

  "For me, that would obviously be a huge, huge shock, but she's obviously done an incredible job and has been a winner. But I feel for me that's something that I'd be really, really shocked by if it happened."

• Modric signs one-year contract extension with Real Madrid

  Luka Modric has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at Real Madrid until June 2025.

  The 38-year-old's previous contract expired at the end of June, but he has reached an agreement to play a 13th season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

  Modric signed for Madrid from Tottenham in 2012 and has since made 534 appearances in all competitions, scoring 39 goals and providing 83 assists.

  He boasts a club-record 26 trophies, including six Champions League, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups and four LaLiga titles.

  In 46 appearances last season, with many of those off the bench, he scored twice and assisted six goals.

  The announcement also confirmed that Modric will be the new club captain following Nacho's departure last month.