New Zealand U-20 goalkeeper Henry Gray will stay at English club Chelmsford City till the end of the season after keeping eight clean sheets since his arrival in December.
Gray (18) is under contract to English Championship club Ipswich Town but the club loaned him to injury-hit Chelmsford who play in the sixth-tier National League South.
Since then, second-placed Chelmsford have built the best defensive record in the 24-team competition, conceding the fewest goals in the league, with Gray keeping opponents goalless in eight of his 13 appearances.
Chelmsford manager Robbie Simpson has confirmed Gray’s loan has been extended till the end of the season which could include play-offs as the side seeks promotion to the National League.
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Gray joined Ipswich Town from Central League club Waterside Karori.
He became the sixth New Zealander to play for Ipswich Town, following Lee Norfolk (1994-97) and All Whites defender Tommy Smith (2007-18), and loan players Rory Fallon (2010-11), Chris Wood (2015) and Monty Patterson (2016-18).
Gray won the Golden Gloves award when playing for New Zealand at the 2022 OFC U-19 Championship in Tahiti, which the side won to qualify for the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup in Argentina.
He was in the training squad for the All Whites’ international friendlies against Greece and the Republic of Ireland in November 2023.
This story was first published on March 2, 2024.