'Dream come true' admits Wigan Athletic wonderkid Joe Gelhardt

Joe Gelhardt admitted making his league bow for Wigan Athletic at the age of 16 at Birmingham was a 'dream come true'.

The Young England star has been touted as the next big thing for a while now after impressing at junior level.

And Latics boss Paul Cook showed his faith by making Gelhardt the club's youngest league player in three decades.

"It's been my dream since I joined the club at 10 years of age," enthused Gelhardt, who replaced Josh Windass at half-time in the 1-1 draw.

"For it to have come true, I'm absolutely over the moon.

"I just want to thank my family and all the staff at the Academy for making this happen."

Gelhardt instantly had the away fans on their feet with a couple of sparkling runs within minutes of coming on.

"The gaffer told me to express myself when I got on the pitch, and I heard the crowd behind me from the off," he added.

"I just tried to focus on my own game, and be as exciting as I could, try to make something happen."

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