ANDRE GRAY grew up idolising Arsenal's 'Invincibles' but hopes he can find a chink in the armour of Arsene Wenger's latest crop of Premier League title chasers to end their hopes of a possible double.
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| Andre Gray is an Arsenal fan but hopes to end their hopes of an FA Cup double with Burnley |
Gray, 24, became an Arsenal fan after marvelling at their season-long unbeaten run to the 2003/04 championship, the last time the Gunners won the league.
He mimicked hero Thierry Henry as he and his pals kicked a ball about in Birmingham, where a tough up-bringing saw him receive a knife wound to the face on a Christmas night out in 2011.
Putting his life back on track with a goal-laden run from Hinckley United to Luton, Brentford and now Burnley, Gray has the chance this afternoon to face the Gunners for the first time and look to pull off a fourth-round upset against the FA Cup holders.
The Clarets' top scorer said: "Me and my friends growing up were fans of the Invincibles team. That got me hooked. I was always Henry. He was the best striker around and that was my position.
"I kind of fell off it a bit as professional and it's hard now. It's more following their results but when I was younger it was different.
"I saw them winning things under Arsene Wenger. He's one of the greats."
Gray's goals helped Hinckley - then playing in Conference North - reach the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in 2011 before they lost to Tamworth.
There was no looking back for Gray, though, as he went to Luton and propelled them to promotion back to the Football League in 2014 with 30 goals.
Brentford then took him into the Championship where he scored 18 goals last season, earning himself a club-record move to Burnley, who could end up paying £9m for a player whose 15 goals have taken Sean Dyche's into the thick of the promotion race.
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