Supporters are being rallied by Joe Gelhardt to show their support for Leeds United’s under-23 side as they prepare to host Manchester City at Elland Road next week. Momentum is building with tickets now on general sale for the last Premier League 2 home match of the season as the Whites eye the division’s attendance record of 16,935.
Gelhardt’s exposure to first-team football, along with the injury issues he has suffered this year, have meant he has played less under-23 football than usual. Despite that, he has had plenty of experiences with the second-string in front of a rocking Elland Road and believes even going for the record underlines the level of support the club has.
“To even have the ambition to break that level,” he said. “We’ve had 10,000 something against Man United, Liverpool and we played against Palace, and I don’t even think it got advertised everywhere, and it was nearly 5,000 or more there.
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“It just shows how unreal the support is. I’ve never had that at under-23 level, I’ve never seen that type of support and that just shows how good the fans are.”
Asked how a record crowd could help out the under-23s a week on Friday, he said: “When I’m playing and the fans are there and loud all it does is edge me on, so I’m assuming it does the same to them lads and it could be that big push, against a side like Man City, they could need and it could be a crucial few points we need to stay up.”
The Whites are four points above the drop zone from Division One and need crucial points from their final three matches to stay up. Next is a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday before the City game one week later and a finale at Arsenal on April 29, the night before the first team host Pep Guardiola’s side.
While Gelhardt may not be involved in all of those games, there is a decent chance he will play this week when there are still 10 days until the next first-team game. Whether he is involved or not, the teenager says that group always gives it everything.
“It’s a lot harder physically playing with the first team, but then you go back down to 23s and we’ve got a group of lads who do the same as well,” he said. “We’re not the type of people who will take our foot off the gas just because it’s an under-23s game.
“We will always try our best and treat it like a first-team game and get the most out of it. For me, it’s a bit weird if it’s not at Elland Road with the fans to give you that extra boost, but you still give it 100 per cent as always.”
You can buy tickets here.
