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Gelhardt, Drameh & more: Leeds United’s fresh u23 faces in profile

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While the Leeds United first team haven’t any fresh faces added since promotion, a handful of promising youth signings have already been made as the Whites look to compete with the country’s top academies.

Following lockdown, Leeds’ surge towards the Championship title coincided with a very important off-field development that had been on the cards for a while now was confirmed when the Whites’ academy had been granted Category One status.

Not only does this mean that Leeds’ youth teams will be competing against the very best in the country, it means they are acknowledged as being part of that esteemed company and can therefore attract a higher calibre of talent to the club in the coming windows.

Since Victor Orta’s arrival at the club under Andrea Radrizzani, there has been a heavy emphasis on ensuring the talent beneath the first team stands the club in good stead for the future and the early moves this summer are more proof of that.

With Leeds making four signings so far this summer, we take a closer look at the names in the door at Elland Road and just how talented these youngsters are…

Joe Gelhardt

‘Joffy’, the Wigan Athletic academy product, had been talked about as one of the hottest attacking prospects in the EFL throughout last season following his shining performances in Wigan’s u23s along with his impactful cameos for the Latics first team.

Coming off the bench away at Hull City, Gelhardt scored his first career goal with a great turn and powerful drive into the near post, showing just the type of clinical and strong forward he is in and around the box.

A striker with bags of potential, Gelhardt has featured at youth level for England and is sure  to continue to rise up the footballing ladder as Leeds look to do under Marcelo Bielsa.

Four goals in six England u18 appearances says it all about how good he is and it’s clear that he was a player Bielsa was keen on from the start of the window, sealing a deal promptly from crisis-stricken Wigan.

Charlie Allen

Another young attacker came in the doors at Elland Road in the shape of 16-year-old Northern Irish youth international Charlie Allen.

At such a tender age, there isn’t much that can be said about his first-team impacts over at Linfield this season with only a handful of appearances, but even then, it’s a testament to his abilities that the European football chasing outfit can find a place for him in the first team picture already.

Managed by former Leeds striker David Healy, Allen was extremely highly-rated in Northern Ireland and made his debut as Linfield’s youngest-ever player, notching an assist on the day too. 

It’s not surprising to see him nail a move to England to one of the strongest academies around, with a coach intent on blooding youth into the first team.

Cody Drameh

A right-back with heaps of potential was the next to seal a move to Elland Road. Cody Drameh arrived in a confirmation that pleased a lot of fans with the wording of signing him from ‘fellow Premier League outfit’ Fulham, showing that Leeds are competing for players on a higher level nowadays.

A pacy defender, Drameh has also come through the youth levels of the national team, catching the eye with a brilliant goal for England u18s from out wide at Carrow Road, lobbing the ‘keeper from 25 yards.

Registering seven assists from right-back in 17 appearances this season, Drameh is definitely good enough to help Leeds to step up into the Premier League 2.

Dani van den Heuvel

Linking up with Pascal Struijk as another Ajax academy product is 17-year-old goalkeeper, Dani van den Heuvel.

The young stopper failed to agree a contract with the Dutch giants earlier in the season and joined the club this week to link up with the under-23s alongside January signing Elia Caprile.

Another player without any first-team experience to date, but it’s a clean sweep of youth internationals that Leeds have brought in, with van den Heuvel representing Holland at u15s, u16s and u17s already. 

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Leeds United season ticket holder since 2013/14, currently situated in the middle of the FA5 noise. From Pablo Hernandez to 5-1 drubbings, I've seen it all at Elland Road.