Jinking through for a penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Running off Thiago Silva to slide in at Stamford Bridge. The flick, finish and pandemonium against Norwich City. Opening the bag of magic for Pascal Struijk at the back post.
Joe Gelhardt’s pockets of influence at Leeds United in 21/22 can be easily forgotten in the depressing fog of what’s come since. The 21-year-old’s loan to Sunderland put him out of sight and out of mind, but relegation should open the door for him once again in West Yorkshire.
In the controlled, sterile editing suite of his summer coaches’ laptops, training videos of Gelhardt in isolation will never show the whole story, but they certainly whet the appetite for what may be ahead. If nothing else, the whipped balls into a top corner are a neat reminder of the talent Leeds recruited from Wigan Athletic in 2020.
First Marcelo Bielsa and then Jesse Marsch managed to get a tune out of Gelhardt with the first team, but last season felt off from the start. Marsch would still turn to Gelhardt from the bench, but he was rarely given enough time to do anything in his cameos.
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Those moments of inspiration from the year before would evade him and ultimately a loan in January looked sensible for this prospect to regain some confidence and pitch time. Then Ross Stewart broke down with an injury.
Sunderland’s number nine was supposed to dovetail with Gelhardt as a duo at the top of the field. On paper, Tony Mowbray had the ideal system for getting the best from the diminutive forward.
Stewart’s Achilles issue would put him out for the season and leave Gelhardt ploughing a lone furrow, much as he was to no great effect with Leeds. Mowbray did not hide the struggles Gelhardt was having in a role entirely at odds with his natural game.
In the years ahead, Gelhardt will hope to look back on 22/23 as one of the hard-fought steps he had to take en route to the top of the game. It was a season which delivered 17 senior starts in all competitions, by far his most to date, and priceless experience as he transitions into the next phase of his career.
Much depends on the incoming head coach at Elland Road, but with his raw talent and an added year of Championship know-how, Gelhardt will hope to play a significant part in next season’s promotion tilt. With Rodrigo expected to depart, Patrick Bamford still battling fitness issues, Georginio Rutter unproven and Mateo Joseph perhaps set for a loan of his own, Gelhardt should get opportunities.
