The summer arrival from Leeds United has been one of City’s most impressive performers
Sergej Jakirovic has revealed how he begged Acun Ilicali to do everything he could to sign Joe Gelhardt in the summer from Leeds United.
City, who first signed Gelhardt on loan in January, were able to strike a deal with the Whites to bring the former Wigan Athletic youngster back to the MKM Stadium, despite their transfer restrictions.
Since coming back to a place he now calls home, Gelhardt has been repaying the faith both Ilicali and Jakirovic showed in him by scoring some crucial goals to help City off to a stunning start to the new Championship campaign.
The 23-year-old made it seven for the season when his deft chip from Charlie Hughes’ pinpoint pass won the game against Portsmouth, on a day where he also claimed an assist for Kyle Joseph’s header and he’ll hope to keep that form going when City return to action on Saturday at QPR.
Gelhardt now has five goals and two assists in his last six games, form which has helped propel the Tigers to fifth in the Championship after 15 games, and Jakirovic says his performances have been nothing short of amazing.
“I don’t know (if it’s his best). You know better than me what he played like till now,” the City boss said when asked if Gelhardt was in the form of his life. “He’s amazing, and I just know when I watched last season’s games, I wanted to do everything I could to make sure he was here with us, so I did everything.
“I begged Mr Chairman for one month to do everything to bring him here because Jofo likes this club. He’s very happy to play here and especially in our situation when we are under embargo. There are not a lot of players who want to come to us. I spoke with a lot of players this summer, and some of them chose other clubs. I explained to them that I will have selected a good team. We will be good, so we are now on the good path.”
Gelhardt has played off the wing and in behind the striker this season, showcasing his impressive versatility, something which sets him apart from other players in the dressing room, according to Jakirovic.
“He’s a completely different profile from the other players,” he continued. “No matter whether he plays in the midfield, number 8, number 10, or right winger, he’s a very, very different player. He’s able to pass one-on-one and shoot on the outside. His speed, also, when you see him, maybe you are in doubt that he cannot run so fast, but he’s very quick, especially with very good control at full speed with the ball. And also statistics, without goals, you cannot win against anyone. He likes to be here.”
Gelhardt will remain with City until the summer, when it’s likely there will be no shortage of interest in him and only a year left on his Elland Road contract.
At the age of 23, though, Jakirovic believes the Liverpudlian will continue to go from strength to strength: “Yes, why not?” the head coach said when asked if Gelhardt can get better. “He’s 2002, so 23 years old. Maybe he can reach the Premier League. He is already a member of Leeds, so I don’t know what happened in the past, but right now, he is making a difference. I hope everyone will stay till summer, but we will see. God knows and Mr Chairman.”
Here at Hull Live , we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service.