Andre Gray

An injury crisis saw Gray make four further cameos, with what would be his final appearance for the club coming as a 57th-minute replacement for Kris Bright in a 2–0 Football League Trophy second round defeat to Accrington Stanley on 20 October.

Andre Anthony Gray (born 26 June 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Saudi Pro League club Al-Riyadh.

Born in England, he represents the Jamaica national team.

A product of the Shrewsbury Town youth system, Gray came to prominence after scoring 57 goals in 111 appearances in a two-season spell with Luton Town.

Gray joined the youth system at League Two club Shrewsbury Town in 2004, signing his first professional one-year contract prior to the start of the 2009–10 season.

Awarded the number 20 shirt, he made his debut on the opening day of the season, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute for Nathan Elder in a 3–1 win over Burton Albion.

He spent periods of the 2009–10 season away on loan, but competition for places meant that Gray was relegated to the reserve team substitutes' bench.

Gray joined Conference North club AFC Telford United on 26 November 2009 on a one-month loan.

Gray's good form meant that his loan was extended for a second month.

He scored his first goal for the club with a late winner against local rivals Stafford Rangers on Boxing Day.

Gray was released by Shrewsbury on 14 May 2010, having made just five appearances for the club.

Looking back on his time at Shrewsbury, Gray said "I was at the stage in my life where I thought everything was set for me. I didn't really care about playing in Shrewsbury's reserves, which it shouldn't have been".

Competition for places meant that Gray gradually lost his place in the team and he returned to Shrewsbury Town on 5 February 2010.

Gray played six times for the Bucks, scoring once.

On 5 March 2010, Gray joined Conference North club Hinckley United on an emergency one-month loan.

He made five appearances and scored no goals for the club, before returning to Shrewsbury Town.

Gray returned to De Montfort Park in June 2010 and signed a permanent one-year contract with the club.

His first goal for the club was a late equaliser in a 2–2 draw with Harrogate Town on 4 September.

After two further goals that month in defeats to Guiseley and Eastwood Town, Gray's goalscoring form dried up.

He scored four goals in a 7–2 thrashing of Solihull Moors on 23 April, before ending the 2010–11 season having made 35 appearances and scored 14 goals.

His form returned in late March 2011, when he scored a brace in a 4–0 drubbing of Redditch United.

Gray remained with Hinckley for the 2011–12 season and showed fine form, with his goalscoring exploits firing the Knitters to an FA Cup first round proper match versus Conference Premier club Tamworth on 12 November 2011.

He scored the opening goal in the 2–2 draw, but couldn't find the net in the replay, resulting in a 1–0 defeat.

Gray also helped Hinckley reach the second round proper of the FA Trophy, scoring a late winner against Conference Premier club Wrexham in the first round, though he was unable to find the net against Luton Town in the following round, to whom they were defeated 3–0 in a replay.

His exploits garnered him attention from Championship clubs.

Gray made 45 appearances and scored 23 goals during the 2011–12 season.

He made six appearances for England C from 2012 to 2014, before being called up to the Jamaican national team and making his debut in March 2021.

Gray began his career in the academy at hometown club Wolverhampton Wanderers, but was released at age 13.

Gray departed Hinckley in the summer of 2012, having made 85 appearances and scored 37 goals across his two spells with the club.

Gray looked back on his years playing part-time with Hinckley as the point at which he regained his focus, saying "as long as I still had a job and was getting paid, it was OK. Until I started playing and realised that full-time football was the only thing I wanted to do, it kicked me into gear. Being bored all day, waiting to go training, made me really want it".

On 22 March 2012, Gray signed for Conference Premier club Luton Town on loan until the end of the 2011–12 season with a view to a permanent move, having impressed the club's backroom staff with his performances against the club in the FA Trophy.

Going straight into the starting lineup, he scored on his debut in a 1–1 draw with Grimsby Town on 24 March and hit a goal in each of his next matches against York City, Braintree Town and Hayes & Yeading United.

This meant that Gray became the only player in Luton Town history to have scored in each of his first four matches for the club.

He scored his fifth goal in a 2–0 win over champions Fleetwood Town in the last match of the season to secure Luton a fifth-place finish in the league and the last available remaining play-off spot.

Gray scored the opening goal in the play-off semi-final first leg at home to Wrexham, which Luton won 3–2 on aggregate to set up a final against York City at Wembley Stadium.

Luton lost the match 2–1, despite Gray scoring the opening goal after just 74 seconds.

In total, he scored seven goals in 12 appearances during his loan spell.

The day after the play-off final defeat, Gray signed a two-year professional contract with Luton for a fee of £30,000.

Beginning the 2012–13 season in a substitute role, Gray scored his first goal of the campaign in a 4–1 win over Macclesfield Town on 1 September 2012 as he broke back into the starting lineup.

Gray's performance in a 2–0 FA Cup fourth qualifying round victory over Cambridge United in late October saw him win the FA Cup Player of the Round award.