A young striker from Northern Ireland, Phil Gray made an impact when he first got into the first team, but failed to oust big name strikers and moved on to a long career elsewhere.
A little on the short side for a striker, Phil had an aggressive approach to the game, but not a nasty one, making defenders hurry their clearances by closing them down quickly and challenging for every ball in the air.
Gray had come up through the youth system and had scored lots of goals, so when he made the first team, he was perhaps a little young and found it hard to adapt. His first game came when the first team rested a significant number of players just before the 1987 FA Cup final, losing 0-1 to Everton at Goodison Park.
Always giving a lot of effort to the performances he made, but regular injuries did not help his cause in getting a regular first team spot, leaving him to go out on loan to Barnsley and Fulham to get some first team experience, but got only three games at each club.
Seemed set to get a break towards the end of the 1990-91 season, but the new signing of striker John Hendry pushed him out of contention and that summer Phil moved on to Luton Town. Had a successful time at Kenilworth Road, leading to him getting his first Northern Ireland cap, but injuries hit again and he was bought by Sunderland, where he enjoyed a good reputation with the crowd, as his whole-hearted performances won their favour.
Went abroad next to France with Nancy and Holland with Fortuna Sittard, but returned to Luton in 1997, but didn't settle anywhere for very long, joining Burnley and Oxford United, before going on loan to Boston United and then dropping into non-league with Chelmsford City, Stevenage Borough on loan, Maidenhead and then playing for his local Hertfordshire side Stotfold.