Sources: ‘Phenomenal’ Wilfried Gnonto is ‘electrifying’ Leeds United coaches
Leeds United fans are thrilled by the impact Wilfried Gnonto has made since he broke into the first team.
That enthusiasm is mirrored behind the scenes among the club’s coaching staff, sources say, with the word “phenomenal” regularly used to describe him.
It is early days in the development of the 19-year-old forward, signed from FC Zürich for what now looks a ludicrously cheap fee of £3.8million.
Many is the player who makes a quick and eyecatching impact in the Premier League when he is unknown to opponents and analysts, before his form tails off when they work out how to stop him.
But Gnonto is seen by those who work with him every day at Thorp Arch as a young player possessing enormous potential and with the capacity to take the Premier League by storm for an extended period.
He is said to be even more electrifying in training than what he has showed on match days.
Indeed, amid a very public search for a new manager that has verged on the embarrassing partly due to some ill-thought social media updates from Andrea Radrizzani, it is fair to say Gnonto is one of the players offering the most hope that the dark spectre of relegation is avoided.
Recent displays against Man United and Cardiff City (in the FA Cup) have had fans and critics purring, most notably the remarkable scissors kick goal.
“There are so many things that I love about his character, his football, his attitude when he’s on the field,” former Leeds star Noel Whelan told Football Insider.
“It’s very rare you get a player who has the desire to do the horrible part of the game by running back 40 yards to show aggression and win back possession.
“He drives at players with pace and power, but he’s got the intelligence to pick the right pass. That’s very rare in someone so young.
“He’s very quickly becoming the fan’s favourite at Elland Road because of that. What a player”.
Perhaps some credit should go to former manager Jesse Marsch, who introduced Gnonto at the right time and did not hesitate in giving him an extended platform to create havoc.
It has reaped dividends, with the Italy international scoring four goals, leaving a trail of bamboozled opponents in his wake and, more importantly, providing hope that things can get better for a struggling team.
His valuation has also rocketed, and he is now worth at least four or five times more than that fee Leeds agreed for him last summer.
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