MOT View: Moment of magic proves Leeds youngster ready for first-team squad
Leeds United under-23s were at their best on Sunday afternoon as they cruised to a 4-1 victory against Crystal Palace.
Mark Jackson was forced into a number of different changes at Thorp Arch, with previously used first-team players not available.
That meant that the likes of Joe Gelhardt returned, but there was no spot for his deadly partner Sam Greenwood, who was still out injured.
Gelhardt and Greenwood have been catching the eye every week, and that didn’t change despite one of them being ruled out.
The former Wigan man was at the heart of everything against Palace and scored twice as the young Whites went second in the Premier League 2.
After Cody Drameh scored the opener, Gelhardt took control of a penalty and smashed it home to double the lead.
Crystal Palace did get back into the game, but one moment of magic from Gelhardt definitely put Leeds back in control.
Many younger players could have panicked when receiving possession on the edge of the box, but not Gelhardt.
The striker took a couple of touches, beat his men and then fired home into the bottom corner, leaving the Palace defence helpless.
Patrick Bamford is leading the way for the first-team in the Premier League, with Tyler Roberts on the bench as his back-up.
With Rodrigo settling in that playmaker role, there is a third-choice striker spot up for grabs, and Gelhardt is definitely staking his claim each week.
The youngster is making it look very easy with the under-23s, and it surely won’t be long until Marcelo Bielsa gives him a shot around the first-team.
In other Leeds United news, many Whites fans blown away by one player in U23s win
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