Leeds United sold Joe Gelhardt to Hull City in the summer after a successful pair of loan spells helped the Tigers to promotion.
The Whites didn’t make a great deal of permanent outbound business in the summer, loaning several players out after survival.
One of the most notable sales was Joe Gelhardt. Having helped drag Hull City to promotion, he made a permanent move to the MKM Stadium.
Joe Gelhardt opens up on Leeds United exit as Hull City hijacked Birmingham City
It felt inevitable that Gelhardt would return to Hull after their return to the Premier League. But it wasn’t a formality for the Tigers to land their man, as they bided their time amid a wave of other signings.
Gelhardt could’ve actually moved back to the Championship, with Birmingham City interested. Instead, Hull acted on their interest, agreeing a £6.5million deal in August.
Speaking to Hull Daily Mail, Gelhardt shed further light on how the Tigers hijacked Birmingham’s talks with Leeds and the player.
“I thought I was gonna come back here, but then as the off-season went on, I sort of got my head around it a little bit that maybe it might not happen,” Gelhardt said. “Birmingham showed interest, and they were top class the whole way through. They were very understanding when I did nearly join, and Hull came when they rang, so they were very understanding, and they were top class as I say all the way through it, so credit to them.”
Now, Gelhardt is looking to build on his first goal of the season away to Everton recently. He couldn’t be happier about finally sealing a permanent move away from Leeds, back to Hull.
“At the start, I think I was 18, very young, going to a club – I didn’t know how big Leeds were when I first joined,” Gelhardt continued. “I’d say it was a successful first two years, and then not so much at the end. I didn’t play much, but that’s football, and that happens. I went on loan a few times here, twice, Sunderland once, I think it was the right decision for both parties to cut off early.
“For me personally, I think it was the perfect situation. I knew I weren’t gonna play at Leeds, and I wanted to be back here at Hull, and they knew that as well, so then for it to actually happen was the perfect scenario for me.”
Shame for Joe Gelhardt career at Leeds United – Now thriving at Hull City
Gelhardt also noted in that interview that it was the right time for him to leave Leeds, knowing he was never going to play.
That is a shame, though. He showed incredible promise early in his Leeds days, but never really kicked on, not helped by multiple managers not knowing where to play him in the final third.
Sergej Jakirovic has found the sweet spot, playing him off the right behind the striker, and that’s paid dividends with promotion and extra quality in their attack this season.
He’s one that I do wish does really well away from Leeds, just for 36/38 games.
