Who is Joe Gelhardt? The next Rooney targeted by Liverpool, Chelsea and Man Utd

Nicholas Hughes

Updated: 12 Oct 2021 14:45 BST
7 min read

Joe Gelhardt playing for Leeds United in a League Cup match against Fulham at Craven Cottage in 2021. — © ProShots

Among the list of England’s future stars sits Joe Gelhardt, shining in the Leeds United academy and catching the eye of some of the country’s top clubs.

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Initially breaking into the first-team at Wigan Athletic as a 16-year-old, Gelhardt has taken big strides in his development.

With a remarkable highlight reel in Premier League 2, Gelhardt forced his name into the mainstream, earning comparisons to England greats and setting himself up for a big career.

Gelhardt has a wide array of assets on the pitch, and with his already evident quality and major potential still to be reached, his name will continue to grow.

What position does Joe Gelhardt play in?

Gelhardt plays as a centre forward, but is also adept at occupying a second striker or No.10 position.

How good is Joe Gelhardt?

Gelhardt has been highly rated for some time, with comparisons to Wayne Rooney indicative of his huge talent.

Both in physique and knack for scoring goals, the link is clear to see between Gelhardt and the England legend, but he also has some attributes that Rooney didn’t.

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Gelhardt is very quick, incredibly sharp in behind opposition defences and wreaks havoc with his speed and constant movement.

With a powerful left foot, Gelhardt has the ability to drift across the front three that is so difficult to defend, but he always manages to find himself in the box with an opportunity to score.

His natural technical ability on the ball allows him to take players on before scoring, while his pace against the last defender, strength in traffic in the penalty area and his gifted left boot mean he can score in any number of ways.

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has been keeping tabs on the starlet, and praised the array of qualities at his disposal.

“He’s a player that always creates danger in a game. He’s a player who’s more linked with the finishing of chances rather than the creation of them. He has resources to beat an opponent and he has a final shot, a finish that is very good,” he told media in February 2021.

Going at almost a goal per game through his first 20 appearances for Leeds’ Under 23’s, Gelhardt was handed his first-team debut at the Whites in September 2021, coming off the bench in a League Cup tie against Fulham before scoring in a penalty shootout.

A month later, Gelhardt earned his first call-up to the England Under 21’s side, having scored goals at every other age level since making his debut for the Under 16’s in 2018.

Which clubs are interested in Joe Gelhardt?

Wigan were forced to sell Gelhardt as they faced financial hardship, and Leeds emerged as the club to sign him despite significant interest elsewhere.