‘I once played for Leeds, this is what’ll likely happen next with Joe Gelhardt and Hull City’
Jermaine Beckford doesn’t believe Joe Gelhardt will return to Leeds United after thriving at Hull City.
The former striker, who played for the Whites between 2006 and 2010, thinks the 23-year-old made the right decision by making a switch to the MKM Stadium last summer.
Beckford wants to see the young centre-forward play at a higher level than the Tigers, but he may have no future at the West Yorkshire outfit.
Daniel Farke has seemingly struggled to bring the best out of the Englishman, as the attacker needs a team built around him, which he has got in HU3.
Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt’s season by numbers at Hull City
Gelhardt has shown he’s capable of being a reliable number nine in the Championship, scoring 11 goals in 28 league appearances this season.
The striker has made the Team of the Week once, provided four assists, averaged 1.1 shots on target per game, won one penalty, created four big chances and recorded a 73 per cent passing accuracy, as per Sofascore.
While the centre-forward has had an impressive campaign with Hull, that doesn’t mean he can translate that form in the Premier League.
Joel Piroe was the Championship’s leading goalscorer last season but has struggled to get into Farke’s plans in the top flight.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post on 6 March, Beckford said, “I’ve been keeping tabs on him and he’s playing with such freedom, such confidence. In terms of Leeds potentially making a mistake letting him go out on loan, I don’t think it’s a mistake. Do I think he’ll go back to Leeds? No, I don’t.
“For him on a personal level, he needs to be in a team that is built around him. Hull, currently, are a team built around him. They work really well together, synergistically very well together. With all due respect, I think he could be playing at a level higher than Hull. I would like to see him test himself at a higher level.”
Daniel Farke to have transfer headache with one Elland Road loanee
Jack Harrison had an electric start to his stint at Fiorentina after signing for the Serie A club on loan in the winter transfer window.
La Viola have an option to make the forward’s transfer permanent in the summer, but they may opt against it after his underwhelming displays in recent matches.
Farke may have to make another decision on Harrison’s future in the coming months if Fiorentina don’t sign him.
The 29-year-old surely has no future at Elland Road, but only time will tell what the future holds for him at Elland Road.
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