Leeds United could have allowed Joe Gelhardt to leave Elland Road in the summer transfer window. The forward was said to have interest before the deadline with Ipswich Town named as one club who were reportedly keen to take him on loan for the season.
He struggled to find his natural rhythm under Jesse Marsch and with his game time being mostly restricted to late appearances off the bench, he found it hard to build any sort of momentum in a white shirt. As such, the Liverpudlian was allowed to join Sunderland on loan in January and despite bagging three goals in 20 appearances and helping the Black Cats into the play-offs, he struggled to hit his stride on a consistent basis at the Stadium of Light, too.
What hasn’t helped him is the uncertainty that surrounds his best position within the Leeds line-up, having failed to settle as either a centre forward or a number 10. However, Farke will be hoping the answer to that question and where the youngster sits within his pecking order, will become clearer with the benefit of coaching and confidence.
In other words, the ball is in Gelhardt’s court, he’s in control of his own destiny and it’s up to him to rise to the challenge and force himself into contention for a starting spot once more. We’ve seen the youngster is willing to do that after enlisting the help of a trainer over the summer to give him the best chance possible of hitting the ground running on day one of pre-season, with his social media posts underlining his determination heading into the new campaign.