Sunderland's new signing Joe Gelhardt put football ahead of finance when he decided to move to Wearside, according to Tony Mowbray. The Black Cats landed the Leeds United striker on loan until the end of the season, beating off interest from numerous Championship clubs including fellow play-off contenders Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers, along with Gelhardt's former side Wigan Athletic who wanted them to aid their relegation battle.
As established Championship sides, Boro and Blackburn have higher budgets than newly-promoted Sunderland, but Gelhardt chose to move to the Stadium of Light where he feels he can thrive playing the brand of attacking football that Mowbray has instilled in a team that includes the likes of Amad, Patrick Roberts, and Jack Clarke. Mowbray said of Gelhardt: "We’re delighted he's here.
"We're fully aware of the financially better off football clubs that wanted to take Joe Gelhardt and yet I hope he wanted to do the football project, he could see the talent at the front end of the field who can get the ball to him and that he feels he can come and help us score goals. It's a young team, it’s not as though there's a load of old guys around him telling him what to do.
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"He's going to come and express his talent and hopefully score goals and help this team moving forward."
Gelhardt has playedtop flight football with Leeds and moving to Sunderland, where he will play regularly in front of gates of 40,000-plus, will be a continuation of the 'Premier League feel' he has experienced at Elland Road. And, while Gelhardt was cup-tied for Sunderland's weekend fourth round draw at Fulham, top scorer Ross Stewart suffered a serious Achilles injury which is likely to rule him out long-term and that means Gelhardt is set to make his debut in Saturday's league trip to Millwall.
"I think that's part of the reason hes come," added Mowbray. "It's a Premier League feel when you play at the Stadium of Light in front of 40,000 fans, they expect and even though it's a very young team who finished fifth in League One last year, they are all playing with a brave style and enjoying their football.
"I think he looked at the football project rather than a team that could play Leeds lots of money. I think Leeds looked at the football project as well, and they think putting him in with the other young players at Sunderland and let him go.
"And with the injury to Ross, it looks to me like we have Millwall away next week, get yourself there and we will unleash him on the league and see how he gets on."
Stewart's injury leaves Gelhardt as Sunderland's only fit out-and-out centre-forward, meaning the Black Cats are all-but certain to go back into the transfer market before tomorrow night's deadline to bring in another frontman.
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