Loans will be considered for a decent selection of Leeds United’s young fringe players this summer, but there is one pair which look too firmly planted in Jesse Marsch’s thoughts for that. Joe Gelhardt was on his way to a breakout season already, but he and Sam Greenwood each went to another level under the head coach down the stretch.
While Gelhardt was retiring Lewis Dunk and reading Raphinha’s mind, Greenwood was threading the eye of a needle at Watford before running a game which decided survival down at Brentford on the final day. They are tucked right under the American’s wing.
The duo continue to match each other’s strides forward in the senior game. Their England development together was followed by matching moves to Elland Road in 2020.
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Speaking to the club’s programme in April, Greenwood fleshed out the relationship the pair have and the importance of supporting one another as they break into the senior game. Although they no longer live together, that was how they first start out at Leeds.
“It’s been so good to go on a similar journey with someone I am so close with,” he said. “We talk a lot to each other.
“When things have been good or bad we’ve been able to chat about it. It means we both have someone there to chat to, to say how we feel in that moment.
“People can think you’re always feeling good, but everyone has moments where they need a chat and Joffy is someone I speak with a lot. We’re really close, we’ve known each other for a long time and we share a room with England too, normally when we’re away.
“So it has been nice to play together recently as well. When we first came to Leeds we believed we could progress together and had that fearless attitude, so that’s definitely helped too.”
Greenwood and Gelhardt were among the first tranche of returners to pre-season this week and look likely to feature in the opening friendly with Blackpool next week.
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