Leeds United’s promotion to the Premier League has greatly enhanced their investment prospects in the transfer market, meaning they’ve had the chance to build the under-23s squad much more than before.
Victor Orta’s work to bring in a number of solid signings to bolster the youth academy has to be commended as the Whites embark on their first season in the Premier League 2.
Joe Gelhardt, Cody Drameh, Sam Greenwood and Crysencio Summerville arrived amongst a mass influx of under-23 names and have impressed a lot so far this season.
Despite an injury setback, Sam Greenwood scooped up the PL2 Player of the Month award for September, netting four goals in three games.
Meanwhile, the shining light of the campaign so far has been Joe Gelhardt, playing in the number 10 role in a somewhat similar manner to Rodrigo Moreno’s role in the first team.
Featuring prominently in attack, Gelhardt has managed three goals and one assist in six appearances, where last time out, he starred against Crystal Palace with two goals. The second of which being a brilliant solo goal:
🤯 What a goal Joffy! pic.twitter.com/knnsSs6MX9
— Leeds United (@LUFC) November 1, 2020
What bodes well for the former Wigan youngster is that Marcelo Bielsa has a track record at Elland Road for blooding youth into the first-team picture.
Strikers have struggled to break their way into the first team with Patrick Bamford’s consistent selection as the main man, but Gelhardt’s performances so far might see him push for a first-team chance this season.
Speaking in his pre-Crystal Palace press conference, Bielsa commented on the Under-23s and focused on Gelhardt in particular. When asked about him, he stated:“Yes, he is a player that is progressing. The evolution of the whole U23s team, we follow it closely.
“We analyse every performance of the U23s as if it were the first team and because normally we train with 22 players and when we are missing any of those we sub them with the U23s.
”I think that around 50% of the U23s players can apply for a place on our team.”