Position: Right-back
Age: 22
Key Stat: 7 assists last season, third-most on the squad
Tayvon Gray emerged as New York City FC’s top attacking full-back last season. Totaling seven assists in 2024, the Homegrown’s playmaking abilities skyrocketed in his fourth season playing in the First Team.
Gray solidified himself as the starting right-back at the end of 2023, but at the start of last season, former head coach Nick Cushing elected to give Mitja Ilenič the starting spot for the first couple of months.
But things would change after the 2-1 win against the Red Bulls on May 18, when Gray was in the Starting XI and provided the winning assist to Mounsef Bakrar. Gray went on to start 16 of the 19 remaining regular season games. There were some matches in which both Gray and Ilenič started due to defensive injuries, but Gray was the primary starter for most of the regular season.
