David Prutton calls for more game time for Leeds United ace Joe Gelhardt
David Prutton has insisted that this afternoon’s [April 2] game against Southampton is the “perfect” game for Leeds United starlet Joe Gelhardt to stake his claim.
Jesse Marsch would have been looking around his squad, working his brain on who to start up front after Patrick Bamford was ruled out for six weeks through injury.
The Sky Sports pundit called for the American to play the 19-year-old from Liverpool and that Whites fans should be “very, very excited” about the prospect of the youngster playing more.
He wrote in his Yorkshire Evening Post column: “Leeds now have Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper back which is obviously huge but the Whites are facing another spell without Patrick Bamford who has now torn his plantar fascia which means United are going to need someone else to play up front again.
“And a game at home against Southampton is a perfect one for Joe Gelhardt to get about and do what Joe has done so well when he has come into the side.
“There is a level of work rate that he brings although with any young player you also have to look at the quality and the consistency of output which comes with minutes on the pitch.
He added: “Patrick for Joe is by no means like for like but what Joe brings that possibly Patrick doesn’t, should have Leeds United fans very, very excited indeed.”
Step up
Without hyping the teenager up too much, Gelhardt has shown scary potential so far when given the opportunity to play.
If you just look at his build, he already looks to be a player who means business on the pitch at the tender age of 19 – he is an animal.
He has proven time and time again that he is a player with quality but the most impressive thing about the England youth international is that he is seemingly never phased by anything.
It is almost as if he knows his quality and completely backs himself to go out and do the business no matter how much pressure is on him and this season there has been a lot.
Take his last-gasp winner against Norwich for example; the forward was in the right place at the right time and kept a cool head to simply guide the ball into the back of the net. That could be the difference between the Whites staying up or not this season.
He is some player for the future but Marsch certainly could do with him now.
In other Leeds United news, David Seaman raves over Whites starlet, Gelhardt.