Joe Gelhardt reveals why he opted for Leeds United

The 18-year-old has signed a four-year contract with the Premier League newboys, who paid an undisclosed fee to land the England Under-18s international.

Gelhardt has previously been linked with moves to Liverpool, Everton and Leicester and when Latics went into administration, he was highly sought after.

He says Tom Pearce, a former Whites player, helped influence his decision.

“I’ve seen a few young players come through the ranks at Leeds, Tom Pearce was at Wigan with me and he told me a lot about the club which helped me a lot and it was a big factor for me," he told the Leeds United website.

“As a child you dream of playing in the Premier League, it’s the best league in the world and hopefully I will get the chance to do that this season.

“It’s a proud moment for me and my family, they’ve been pushing me to do it and I wanted to do it, so we’re all really happy it’s done.”

Gelhardt featured 19 times in all competitions for Wigan last season.