David Seaman says Leeds gem Joe Gelhardt reminds him of Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli

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Arsenal legend and boyhood Leeds United fan David Seaman says Joe Gelhardt reminds him of Gabriel Martinelli.

Both the Gunners rising star and the Whites prodigy have enjoyed memorable seasons so far.

Martinelli has finally made his first-team breakthrough after being on the fringes of the Arsenal first team for some time.

Meanwhile, Gelhardt has quickly risen through the ranks at Leeds after joining from Wigan in 2020.

The 19-year-old made his Whites debut last September against Fulham in the Carabao Cup.

Since then, he has clocked up a further 14 appearances for Leeds in all competitions.

With Patrick Bamford facing around six weeks out with a ruptured plantar fascia, Jesse Marsch has hinted Gelhardt could soon get a more prominent role.

Martinelli and Gelhardt are both tenacious and skilled players who cause no end of problems to opposition defences.

Seaman, speaking on the Seaman Says Podcast, made the comparison between the two players due to the way they “annoy defenders”.

He also predicted more game time Gelhardt over the coming weeks in wake of Bamford’s absence.

The legendary England goalkeeper said of the Leeds youngster: “He reminds me of Martinelli at Arsenal.

“He’s one of them players who’s got tonnes of energy.

“And with all that energy, he annoys defenders because he’s at them all the time. And he can finish as well.

“Maybe now that they know Bamford is out, they’re thinking right ‘let’s give him a chance’.”