Wigan Athetic's highly-rated youngster, Joe Gelhardt, has experienced interest from some of the top Premier League clubs, including both Chelsea and Liverpool.

The forward has been talked about for a couple of months now as one of the future stars, and he is only boosting those claims. The 17-year-old fired home emphatically after a fantastic turn on Saturday to secure a point for the Latics in only his third ever Championship appearance.

With Wigan in need of points this season, it'll be interesting to see how Paul Cook integrates the youngster into the senior squad and whether he becomes a regular in the side.

His development is key, as is his next move - if he is to make one.

Here are THREE reasons why Wigan must stand firm and fend off Premier League interest...

Playing time

He's just 17, so playing time is key for the youngster to continue his development. At Wigan, Cook is able to utilise him how he feels best and the player knows his surroundings, which is always important for any youngster.

It would be interesting to see if Cook was open to a sale, but then getting the forward back on a loan deal. It would be highly doubtful as Wigan should want to stand firm unless they can get a giant offer for the youngster.

Having featured in the Championship twice already this season, his game time is only going to increase if he continues to impress. This is crucial to his development and why Wigan must keep him at the club.

Future valuable asset

In the future, Gelhardt is going to be a very valuable asset. The striker has been fantastic in his brief cameos since bursting out onto the season and at just 17 his value will already be high.

The Latics must keep him at the club to help future finances. If he continues to develop at this rate, then Wigan will have one of the best teenagers in England on their hands in the next couple of years, which will only increase his price value.

Effective at this level

Let's not forget, on Saturday he proved he can be very effective at Championship level. The striker took a pass into the box and turned expertly away before smashing the ball home, looking like he'd played at that level for a number of seasons.

The composure was fantastic, and I'm sure that Cook will not just be looking to use him on the periphery this season. That's a massive reason for Cook to keep the striker, purely because he can help Wigan achieve their goals not just in the future but in this current campaign.