Michael Gray

Michael Gray (born 3 August 1974) is an English former professional footballer who played as a left-back or left winger for 18 years. He is mostly remembered for his 12-year stay with his hometown club Sunderland, where he made 363 league appearances between 1992 and 2004. While with Sunderland, he spent a brief loan spell with Scottish side Celtic. In 2004, he moved to Blackburn Rovers and later had spells with Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday. In 1999, Gray earned three caps for England. Club career Sunderland While at school, Gray had trials with Manchester United and signed schoolboy forms, but decided against signing a contract at Old Trafford and continued playing for Fatfield Juniors F.C. in the Hetton Youth League. After 18 months he signed, as an apprentice, with Sunderland. He broke into the Sunderland first team shortly after his 18th birthday, at the beginning of the 1992–93 season. He made his senior debut on 21 November 1992 in a 1–0 win at Derby County in Division One (the first season after the creation of the new Premier League).