The 18-year-old forward helped Leeds Under-23s to win the Premier League 2 Division Two title this season and is increasingly being integrated into the first team, with a spot in matchday squads.

 

Gelhardt, a summer arrival, was on the bench for Leeds’ 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Elland Road on Monday evening and Whelan admits he would have loved to have seen the attacker given game time.

 

 

Whelan believes that Gelhardt is the future at Leeds and revealed what he has been told by one of the coaches who works with the teenager regularly, with a Wayne Rooney comparison floated.

 

“I’ll be honest with you. I was speaking to Alessandro [Barcherini] down there, the goalkeeping coach at Leeds who works with the 23s, he was raving about Gelhardt”, Whelan said post match on BBC Radio Leeds.

 

 

“He was saying he’s unreal, he’s like a Wayne Rooney, the way he comes off, gets on the ball, goes one on one and gets past players, vision.

 

“He said everything is exciting about him.

 

 

“I’d have loved to have seen him given an opportunity and come on because he is the future.”

 

With Leeds having secured their Premier League status for next season all eyes will be on whether Marcelo Bielsa gives Gelhardt an opportunity to make an impact in the Whites’ coming games.