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Leeds United man coy on Elland Road future after Daniel Farke transfer decision

-Credit:Getty Images
-Credit:Getty Images


Joe Gelhardt insists he is focused on leading Hull City to Championship safety rather than his own future. The versatile forward joined the Tigers on loan from Leeds United earlier this month.

Gelhardt made an instant impact, scoring a spectacular goal on his City home debut in their 2-1 loss to Queens Park Rangers in midweek. He is due to return to Elland Road following the climax of the 2024/25 season. His current Whites deal runs out in the summer of 2027.

When quizzed on his United situation, Gelhardt said: “I don’t think about the future, I just want to enjoy it whilst I’m here (at Hull City) and get as many minutes as I can and see what happens.”

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Liverpool-born front man Gelhardt is relishing the prospect of contributing to the Tigers' survival fight. "It's a challenge, isn't it? I think it's a false (league) position," he told Hull Live. "When I saw the game against Leeds from the bench, I saw how good Hull (City) were and we were saying (in the dressing room) how are they in the bottom three, it doesn't make any sense, they're a good team?

"Once I've seen the style of play and the manager and how he likes to play, I thought it suited me, so my agent was in contact with Hull and Leeds, and he just let me know, and then since that, I've always wanted to come to Hull. It was just about Leeds letting me go; that was the delay."

The 22-year-old has found first team football hard to come by under Daniel Farke, featuring just three times in the first half of the season. "That's football (lack of playing at Elland Road)," said Gelhardt. "Sometimes, you don't play; you can't sit there and moan about it; you've got to crack on with it, but I had a conversation with him (Farke) just before January about what my plan was going to be. As a footballer, you want to play games, so I told him that I'd like to go out on loan and try and play if I'm not in his plans, and he agreed to it; he let me, and he was happy with it.

"I just like playing football, and obviously, I won't get the minutes I'd have liked at Leeds. The other option was a loan, so that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to play football, and I'm thankful to this club for showing interest."