Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with Wigan Athletic’s Joe Gelhardt.
All eyes were on Joe Gelhardt when the teen sensation came off the bench to make his second appearance of the Championship season on Saturday.
After a brief cameo in a goalless draw away to Barnsley, the 17-year-old rose from the dugout again with Wigan 2-1 down at Hull City at the KCom Stadium. And, just moments later, Gelhardt showed everyone why he is a target for four, yes four Premier League clubs.
According to Goal, Liverpool and Everton are interested in snapping up the Scouse-speaking England U18 international, who has also caught the eye of Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
And, a matter of weeks after the speculation started to rise, Gelhardt has scored the first club goal of his professional career. What a way to do it.
Spinning brilliantly on the edge of the box, the Liverpool-born striker slammed the ball into the roof of the Hull net. It was a moment of true inspiration and no wonder Wigan manager Paul Cook was thrilled with Gelhardt’s game-changing impact.
“He’s got that unique talent to find space in a telephone box. He’s such a natural, good footballer. To get a goal like that in front of his own fans was a special moment,” the Latics boss told the Evening Express.
“A lot of young footballers coming into the game are not very nice people. We’re just lucky to have a boy with his humility playing for us – the game is easy for him.
“He’ll be starting soon if he carries on like that. He’s a young boy that needs minding though.
“It’s a very special goal from a very special player.”
It is precisely this ‘very special’ talent which has clubs from all over the top flight sending scouts to Lancashire. If Wigan already had a challenge on their hands holding onto a player with the world at his feet, a truly spectacular goal, his first at senior level, means it could be a long, hard January at the DW Stadium.
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