Joe Gelhardt off to a flyer as young Leeds United star declares aims and hails perfect fit - YEP 26/7/22
Joe Gelhardt is off to a flyer. Literally.
By Lee Sobot
Just 25 minutes into this month's pre-season friendly
against Brisbane Roar in Australia, the five-foot-nine striker leapt high into
the air to power home a bullet header that even the most towering of forwards
would have been proud of.
Eight days later, Gelhardt would have had a couple more
goals under his belt but for the interventions of Crystal Palace 'keeper
Vicente Guaita as part of a 1-1 draw with the Eagles.
Gelhardt's stunning impact upon breaking into the team last
season is very likely just the beginning for a striker who made crucial goal
contributions to his team staying up last term. Everything suggests that more
of the same will now follow.
Yet United's 20-year-old striker is maintaining his relaxed
approach to his development at Leeds, modestly aiming first and foremost to
just help the team where he can but admitting that ultimately the more goals
the merrier in his second season with the Whites.
Two goals arrived during what was the young Liverpudlian's
breakthrough season last term and one of those goals was particularly vital in
ensuring that Leeds avoided the drop.
Elland Road sunk to its knees as Kenny McLean struck a
91st-minute equaliser for Norwich City in March's clash against the
bottom-of-the-table Canaries which Leeds approached having taken just one point
from their last eight games.
Yet Gelhardt sent the home faithful inside LS11 wild by
converting a 94th-minute winner that proved the launchpad to a haul of 11
points from a possible 15 that ultimately kept Jesse Marsch's side in the
division.
"They sniff it out."
— Leeds United News (@LeedsUnitedYEP) July 25, 2022
Strong stuff from Jesse Marsch on Elland Road and a vow to Leeds United's fans about his side ahead of the new campaign. #lufc https://t.co/m8tyhrhW9D
Even so, the chances of survival looked bleak 91 minutes
into United's penultimate game of the season as Brighton led 1-0 at Elland
Road, only for Gelhardt to produce mesmeric footwork in injury time to set up a
92nd-minute leveller for Pascal Struijk.
Unsurprisingly, Gelhardt's upward trajectory has continued
this pre-season and the exciting young forward is determined to merely maintain
his same approach as always approaching the new campaign which starts with the
home clash against Wolves in 11 days' time.
Pressed on whether there was an individual target for the
new season, Gelhardt said simply: "Not really.
"I don't really set targets.
"I sort of just go with the flow and try and take it
game by game.
"But obviously like any other player I want to score
more goals and help the team and try and get as high in the league table as
possible."
In the end, even a 17th-placed finish was greeted with
scenes of sheer jubilation after the final day 2-1 win at Brentford sealed a
Whites great escape.
Even in spite of Gelhardt's contributions, Leeds headed for
the last game of the season sat in the division's drop zone and odds on to be
relegated in a two-horse race with Burnley.
But a 2-1 victory coupled with a 2-1 defeat for the Clarets
at home to Newcastle United kept Leeds' necks above water and the club looking
onwards and upwards for the new campaign.
Leeds have already signed seven new recruits and the Whites
are hoping to sign another striker as competition and cover for Patrick
Bamford, Rodrigo and of course rapidly emerging young star Gelhardt.
The young striker was given 106 minutes of football across
two outings as part of the club's pre-season tour of Australia, Gelhardt
sitting out the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa having experienced soreness.
The forward was then back with a bang in the Australia
finale against Palace, replacing Whites no 9 Bamford at the interval for
another impressive and lively display yet there was still a case of what might
have been.
Such are the young forward's high standards, the England
under-20 international had a rather different view of the excellent save pulled
off by Palace 'keeper Guaita to keep out his clever effort in this month's
pre-season friendly.
Gelhardt was played through on goal thanks to a fine through
ball from Sam Greenwood and attempted to dink a precise lob over Guaita only
for the Eagles keeper to scramble the attempt wide.
Gelhardt, though, only highlighted the fact that he should
have passed to teammate Crysencio Summerville who was bursting through the
middle.
"It was my bad," he insisted.
"I should have squared it to Cree when I was through on
goal."
Harsh. Yet either way, Gelhardt was once again in the right
place at the right time which is all part of the plan.
Having been signed from Wigan Athletic in August 2020,
Gelhardt was finally handed his Whites first team debut in the EFL Cup clash
against Fulham in September 2021
Another 21 outings, two goals and four assists later, new
Whites head coach Marsch is now the one calling the orders and Gelhardt says
the American’s demands are something of a perfect fit for his game.
"I think they're good, the tactics for a striker,"
he reasoned.
"We like to get wide and then get across the near post.
"That's what we are told to do so it's good for
strikers.
"They want us in the right position, scoring
goals."