Why is Joe Gelhardt called Joffy? Many Sunderland fans have been asking after the Black Cats signed the 20-year-old on loan from Leeds.
Those at Elland Road will know all about the England Under-20 international’s nickname, which was often used to refer to him more often than his actual surname.
So, why is Gelhardt called Joffy? Let’s take a look…
Why is Joe Gelhardt called Joffy?
Well, the nickname is so heavily associated with Gelhardt that even his mother refers to him as Joffy on Twitter, with her bio reading: “Mother of 2 gorgeous boys Joffy and Daniel.”
The Sunderland new boy’s nickname is based on the film Coming to America.
As a child, Gelhardt enjoyed the movie so much that he began to refer to himself as Joffy in association with King Jaffe Joffer, one of the characters in the film.
It is also said that a family friend of the Gelhardt’s had a daughter in his class at school, and the nickname stuck after she began calling him Joffy on a regular basis – according to The Times.
Whatever those at the Stadium of Light refer to him as, they should be excited by his arrival.
Gelhardt is one of the most talented young strikers in England, having scored 20 goals in 31 appearances for the Under-21 side at Leeds since his £1m move from Wigan in August 2020.
In truth, the Liverpool-born forward has deserved more first-team action at Elland Road.
Whenever Gelhardt has been called upon by Marcelo Bielsa or Jesse Marsch, he seems to make an impact, notably scoring a 94th minute winner against Norwich last season which eventually kept Leeds in the Premier League.
The Daily Mail believe Wigan often refused to give his name to scouts as they wanted to keep him.
With the likes of Amad Diallo, Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke creating chances for him, we expect Joffy to thrive on Wearside between now and the end of the campaign.
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