Joe Gelhardt talks Hull City move, Leeds exit and failed Birmingham switch

Joe Gelhardt has opened up on his summer move to Hull City, admitting he thought the move would not happen before an 11th-hour intervention from owner Acun Ilicali.

Gelhardt, who had played a pivotal role during two loan spells at the MKM Stadium in helping keep the Tigers in the Championship, before their historic promotion last season, was on the cusp of a move to Birmingham City.

After agreeing terms with Leeds, Ilicali called Gelhardt to tell him he wanted to bring him back to East Yorkshire permanently, as he was preparing his bags to head to St Andrew's for a medical.

Even his move back to the club wasn't straightforward, with the 24-year-old arriving with an ankle injury, which saw him miss the start of the season.

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Gelhardt admits picking up that injury was a significant frustration, but one he just had to accept, and focus on getting fit, which made his goal against Everton last weekend all the more sweet.

"I picked up an injury like a week into pre-season with my ankle, so I was out for about six weeks with that," he told Hull Live. "It wasn't supposed to be that at first, but when I did my medical at Hull, they found something else, so it was just a bit longer, but it gave me time to get fit properly and make sure it was fine, rehab it properly. I feel good now, I'm ready to go."

Gelhardt arrived back at Thorpe Arch in the summer, knowing his future would be away from the Whites, but sustaining an injury meant he missed a chunk of pre-season training, and once he was fit, his focus was on working as hard as he could to prepare himself for the next opportunity, wherever that would see him land, which looked like being back in the Championship with the Bluenoses.

"I thought that I'm gonna give it one hundred per cent and get as fit as I can, so when I do get a move, I'm ready to go, I'm ready to hit the ground running. When the injury came, I was a bit frustrated, but there was nothing I could do, really. When I went back there (to Leeds), I just had to try and get fit as quickly as possible."

The forward had his bags packed and was due to go to Birmingham City for a medical, before Acun Ilicali called to offer him the chance of an emotional return to the MKM Stadium. And while the Blues were naturally disappointed to miss out on a player they'd long coveted, Gelhardt says the Championship club dealt with it well.

"I thought I was gonna come back here, but then as the off-season went on, I sort of got my head around it a little bit that maybe it might not happen," he explained. "Birmingham showed interest, and they were top class the whole way through. They were very understanding when I did nearly join, and Hull came when they rang, so they were very understanding, and they were top class as I say all the way through it, so credit to them."

Gelhardt's time at Leeds started well, but tailed off in the second half of his stint in East Yorkshire, and despite having another year on his contract, he believes making a fresh start was good for both him and the club.

"At the start, I think I was 18, very young, going to a club - I didn't know how big Leeds were when I first joined," he confessed. "I'd say it was a successful first two years, and then not so much at the end. I didn't play much, but that's football, and that happens. I went on loan a few times here, twice, Sunderland once, I think it was the right decision for both parties to cut off early.

"For me personally, I think it was the perfect situation. I knew I weren't gonna play at Leeds, and I wanted to be back here at Hull, and they knew that as well, so then for it to actually happen was the perfect scenario for me."

Gelhardt has often spoken of his love for the Tigers during his previous two loan spells, and when asked to put into words what it is about City that has got under his skin, he says,' it's the whole package.

"It's a mixture of everything," he continued. "Playing plays a massive part when you're playing week in, week out, every footballer wants to do that. I'm at my happiest when I'm playing football, and that's what I've done here, so all the lads as well, really good lads, got on well with the lads, and the staff were brilliant and the fans. It's just a mixture of everything, and I like it here."

He may be back amongst plenty of familiar faces, but there's one player missing from the famous Wigan trio. While Charlie Hughes is still at City, Kyle Joseph has since moved on to Middlesbrough, something Gelhardt admits was tough to see.

"I kept in contact with him (Hughes) over the summer, and yes, it's good to see him. He's got a bit of an injury at the minute, so I'm waiting to see him back on the pitch. I was gutted to see KJ go, yeah, such a good lad, KJ, and I'm delighted for him though. He's joined another big club, and he's done well so far since he's been there. He's getting a lot of minutes, so good on him."

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