Joe Gelhardt at Leeds: Where Did It All Go Wrong?

It’s a bit sad to say, but when you look back at Joe Gelhardt’s time at Leeds United, it’s hard not to feel like a promising career stalled before it really got going. Here was a lad who came in from Wigan with bags of potential, a low centre of gravity, raw power, and that scrappy edge you want in a modern forward. He had a spark. But somehow, somewhere along the line, the fire went out. And for me, it all comes down to mismanagement, missed opportunities, and a total lack of belief in him when it really mattered.

The Spark That Never Caught Fire

When Gelhardt first showed up at Elland Road, I was excited. He looked like the kind of player who could become a fan favourite — gritty, fearless, and technically sound. He reminded me of a young Wayne Rooney in flashes — not in terms of overall ability (let’s be honest, that’s a high bar), but in his stocky build and aggressive style.

He had some bright moments early on — his last-minute winner against Norwich was electric. But those moments were never backed up with a proper run of games. He’d get 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there. How can you build confidence or rhythm like that?

🤩 "Gelhardt is the hero!" pic.twitter.com/wh1RT4tjuu

— Leeds United (@LUFC) March 13, 2022

Stuck in the Shuffle

Let’s be real — he was never properly integrated. Whether it was Marcelo Bielsa or Jesse Marsch, or later Daniel Farke, none of them seemed to trust him fully. And yes, he was young, but plenty of young players around the league were getting more game time than he was. Even when Leeds were crying out for energy and unpredictability up front, they looked past him.

I get that Bamford, Rodrigo, and later players like Gnonto offered different qualities. But Gelhardt brought something unique — a directness and drive that we were often lacking. The issue wasn’t that he wasn’t good enough; it was that he was never really given the platform to show it.

Loan Spells: Temporary Hope

The loan move to Sunderland in early 2023 felt like a make-or-break moment. He got minutes, scored a couple of goals, and looked okay — but he didn’t exactly set the Championship on fire. That said, Sunderland didn’t always play to his strengths. Then came the Hull City loan, where he started to look a bit more like himself. Five goals in 20 appearances isn’t mind-blowing, but you could see him growing in confidence again. For once, he was being used in the right way.

The Hull spell, in my opinion, was the clearest sign that Leeds had mishandled him. If a different club could get more out of him in a few months than Leeds had in years, what does that say about how he was developed?

Under Farke: Completely Frozen Out

By the time Daniel Farke took over, Gelhardt was pretty much invisible. He barely featured in the 2023–24 campaign and was even left out of pre-season the following year. While other young players were getting chances to impress, Gelhardt was stuck training with the Under‑21s. That says it all, really. Once you’re not even in the mix for friendlies, it’s clear the writing’s on the wall.

He’s still under contract until 2027, but let’s be honest: there’s no future for him at Leeds anymore. Farke doesn’t rate him, and you can’t develop sitting in the stands. It’s time for him to move on.