Andre Gray facts for kids
Gray playing for Burnley in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 June 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Wolverhampton, England | ||
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2004 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| 2004–2009 | Shrewsbury Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2009–2010 | Shrewsbury Town | 4 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → AFC Telford United (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2010 | → Hinckley United (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Hinckley United | 65 | (29) |
| 2012 | → Luton Town (loan) | 9 | (5) |
| 2012–2014 | Luton Town | 88 | (47) |
| 2014–2015 | Brentford | 47 | (18) |
| 2015–2017 | Burnley | 73 | (32) |
| 2017–2022 | Watford | 113 | (19) |
| 2021–2022 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 28 | (10) |
| 2022–2023 | Aris | 32 | (8) |
| 2023–2024 | Al-Riyadh | 26 | (7) |
| 2024–2025 | Plymouth Argyle | 13 | (3) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2012–2014 | England C | 6 | (2) |
| 2021– | Jamaica | 13 | (3) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Andre Anthony Gray (born 26 June 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker. He was born in England but plays for the Jamaica national team.
Andre Gray started his football journey in the youth system at Shrewsbury Town. He became well-known after scoring 57 goals in 111 games for Luton Town over two seasons. He also played six times for the England C team between 2012 and 2014. In March 2021, he joined the Jamaican national team and played his first game for them.
Contents
Andre Gray's Football Journey
Starting at Shrewsbury Town
Andre Gray began his career in the academy at his hometown club, Wolverhampton Wanderers. He left there at age 13. In 2004, he joined the youth team at Shrewsbury Town. He signed his first professional contract in 2009.
He made his first team debut on the opening day of the 2009–10 season. He came on as a substitute in a 3–1 win. Due to injuries in the team, Gray played a few more times. He also spent some time on loan to other clubs. In May 2010, Shrewsbury released him after he had played only five games. Gray later said that he learned a lot from this time, which helped him focus more on his football career.
Time at AFC Telford United and Hinckley United
In November 2009, Gray joined Conference North club AFC Telford United on a one-month loan. He played well, and his loan was extended. He scored his first goal for the club in a win against Stafford Rangers. He played six games for Telford and scored one goal.
In March 2010, Gray went on another loan to Hinckley United, another Conference North club. He played five games there but did not score.
Gray returned to Hinckley United permanently in June 2010. He scored his first goal for them in September. He then scored two more goals that month. In March 2011, he scored two goals in one game. He also scored four goals in a big 7–2 win in April. He finished the 2010–11 season with 14 goals in 35 games.
He continued to play well in the 2011–12 season. His goals helped Hinckley reach the first round of the FA Cup. He scored in a 2–2 draw, but they lost the replay. He also helped them reach the second round of the FA Trophy. Gray scored a late winning goal against Wrexham. He made 45 appearances and scored 23 goals that season. His strong performances caught the eye of bigger clubs. Gray left Hinckley in 2012, having scored 37 goals in 85 games. He felt that playing part-time at Hinckley made him realize how much he wanted to play full-time football.
Success at Luton Town
On 22 March 2012, Gray joined Luton Town on loan. He immediately impressed the club. He scored a goal in his first game, a 1–1 draw. He then scored in his next three matches too. This made him the only player in Luton Town's history to score in his first four games. He scored his fifth goal in the last game of the season, helping Luton finish fifth.
Gray scored the first goal in the play-off semi-final against Wrexham. Luton won and reached the final at Wembley Stadium. In the final against York City, Gray scored after just 74 seconds. However, Luton lost the match 2–1. In total, he scored seven goals in 12 games during his loan.
After the final, Gray signed a two-year contract with Luton for £30,000. He continued to score important goals, including one in an upset 1–0 FA Cup win against his hometown club, Wolverhampton Wanderers. In January 2013, he signed a new contract until June 2015. He ended the 2012–13 season with 20 goals in 54 games.
In the 2013–14 season, Gray started as a substitute but soon earned his place back. He scored his first goal in September and then went on a scoring spree. He scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win in October. He scored 11 goals in 10 games from November to January, helping Luton reach the top of the league. Gray said he wanted to stay and help the club get promoted. He scored seven goals in four games in February and was named the Conference Premier Player of the Month.
Gray scored 30 goals in 45 games during the 2013–14 season. Luton won the Conference Premier title and were promoted back to the Football League. Gray won the Young Player of the Season award for Luton. He also won the Golden Boot for being the top scorer in the league. He was named in the Conference Premier Team of the Season. Gray left Luton in June 2014, having scored 57 goals in 111 games.
Moving to Brentford
On 27 June 2014, Gray signed a three-year deal with Championship club Brentford. He was excited about the move, saying the manager's vision for him and the club was a big reason he joined. He made his first Football League start on the opening day of the 2014–15 season. He scored his first goal for Brentford in a thrilling 6–6 draw in the League Cup.
After a period without goals, Gray found his form in November. He scored five goals in four games and won the Championship Player of the Month award. He also made the Football League Team of the Week. He finished the regular season with 16 goals in 45 league games. Brentford finished fifth and reached the play-off semi-finals. Gray scored in the first leg, but Brentford lost overall. He played 50 games and scored 18 goals that season.
In the 2015–16 season, Gray scored two goals in his first two games. He then left Brentford on 21 August 2015 for a club-record fee. He scored 20 goals in 52 games for Brentford.
Time at Burnley
On 21 August 2015, Gray joined Burnley on a three-year contract. The transfer fee was a club record, believed to be £6 million. His former club, Luton Town, received over £1.1 million from this transfer.
Gray made his Burnley debut on 29 August 2015. He scored his first goal for the club two weeks later. He had a great run of form, scoring eight goals in eight games in October and November. This helped Burnley stay near the top of the Championship table. He scored another seven goals from late December to early February, including a hat-trick in a 4–0 win. Gray scored eight more goals in Burnley's final matches, helping them win the Championship title.
During this successful season, Gray was named Championship Player of the Year. He also won the Golden Boot award for being the top scorer in the Championship with 25 goals.
Gray made his Premier League debut on the opening day of the 2016–17 season. One week later, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 2–0 win against Liverpool. On 31 December 2016, Gray scored his first Premier League hat-trick. This made him the first Burnley player to score a Premier League hat-trick. He finished the season with 10 goals in 36 games, helping Burnley stay in the Premier League.
Playing for Watford
On 9 August 2017, Gray signed a five-year contract with Premier League club Watford. This was also a club record fee for Watford. He made his debut three days later. He scored his first goal for Watford on 23 September. In his first season, he scored five goals in 33 games. He played 34 games and scored nine goals in the 2018–19 season.
On 31 August 2021, Gray joined Queens Park Rangers on a season-long loan. He scored on his debut for QPR. Watford released Gray at the end of the 2021–22 season.
Playing Abroad
On 3 July 2022, Gray moved to Greece for the first time in his career. He signed a four-year contract with Super League Greece club Aris.
On 7 September 2023, Gray joined Saudi Pro League team Al-Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
Return to England with Plymouth Argyle
On 4 October 2024, Gray joined Plymouth Argyle as a free agent. He signed a short-term contract until January 2025. He scored his first goal for Plymouth on 26 October 2024. He left the club in January 2025 when his contract ended.
Andre Gray's International Career
Andre Gray was born in England but has Jamaican family. This meant he could choose to play for either country. His great goal-scoring for Luton caught the attention of the England C team. This team is for non-league players. He was called up in June 2012 and made his debut in a 4–0 loss.
He scored his first international goal in September 2012, helping England C win 2–1. He even captained the team in a friendly game in June 2013, scoring a goal. Gray played six games for England C and scored two goals. When he returned to the Football League in June 2014, he was no longer eligible for the England C team.
In March 2021, Gray was one of several English-born players called up to the Jamaica national team. He made his debut for Jamaica on 25 March 2021 against the United States.
Andre Gray's Personal Life
Andre Gray was born in Wolverhampton, England. His grandfather introduced him to football and was a very important person in his life. Gray is an Arsenal fan.
In May 2016, Andre Gray started dating Leigh-Anne Pinnock from the British girl group Little Mix. They got engaged in May 2020 and were married on 3 June 2023 in Jamaica. In August 2021, they welcomed twin girls. They have chosen to keep their daughters' names private.
Honours and Awards
Andre Gray has won several awards and titles throughout his career:
Luton Town
- Conference Premier: 2013–14 (Champions)
Burnley
- Football League Championship: 2015–16 (Champions)
Watford
- FA Cup runner-up: 2018–19
Individual Awards
- Conference Premier Player of the Month: February 2014
- Luton Town Young Player of the Season: 2013–14
- Conference Premier Golden Boot: 2013–14 (Top Scorer)
- Conference Premier Team of the Season: 2013–14
- Football League Championship Player of the Month: November 2014
- Football League Championship Player of the Year: 2015–16
- Football League Team of the Season: 2015–16
- Football League Championship Golden Boot: 2015–16 (Top Scorer)
- PFA Team of the Year: 2015–16 Championship
- EFL Championship Goal of the Month: November 2021
Images for kids
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Gray playing for Burnley in 2016
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Gray lining up for Luton Town before the 2012 Conference Premier play-off final
See also
In Spanish: Andre Gray para niños
