36. David Gray

David Gray has the advantageous ability of being able to play in almost any position.

Nicknamed ‘greyhound’ because of his name and his pace, David grew up near Darren Fletcher just outside Edinburgh. He arrived at United as a winger but has since played anywhere from striker to centre-half, right-back to right wing.

The Scot has progressed to Reserve team level, but he was one of the highest appearance-makers for the U-18s in 2005/06 with 19 starts and one goal.

Gray signed professional forms with the Reds on 10 August 2005 and flourished in the Reserves during the

first half of the 2006/07 season. He was supposed to spend the latter half of the season at Royal Antwerp, only to see those hopes dashed by a serious knee injury. An early return to Carrington beckoned.

In November 2007, Gray joined League One outfit Crewe Alexandra on an emergency loan, and made a solitary appearance before returning to United for the remainder of the 2007/08 campaign.

A regular for the Reserves, David has primarily been used as a full-back in recent seasons, but his natural attacking instincts shine through in his regular bombarding runs down either wing.

On New Year's Day 2009 Gray joined Plymouth Argyle on loan. His first outing as a Pilgrim was to the Emirates Stadium as his new side faced Arsenal in the FA Cup. Plymouth lost 3-1 and Gray was unfortunate to score an own goal.

Nevertheless, the youngster was determined to make the most of his time at Home Park.

"It's all about games and getting as much experience as I can at this age. And the only way I'm going to progress is by playing first-team football."