‘It’s the way he plays’: Shaun Wright-Phillips says he sees himself in ‘mature’ Leeds wonderkid

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Shaun Wright-Phillips has said that Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto reminds him of himself.

The former Manchester City and Chelsea winger made this claim in an interview with FTBL.

When quizzed about which player does he sees himself in, Shaun Wright-Phillips instantly mentioned Leeds United fan favourite Wilfried Gnonto.

Shaun Wright-Phillips says Leeds starlet Wilfried Gnonto reminds him of himself

The 19-year-old is having an impressive season at Elland Road, despite his side looking likely candidates to suffer relegation.

Ironically enough, Gary Neville claimed in January that the Italian international is the archetypal ‘Manchester City winger’, while also branding him as ‘mature’ for such a young player.

Now, Shaun Wright-Phillips, who remains an icon at City named Leeds wonderkid Wilfried Gnonto as the player who he sees himself in.

“Gnonto, I think. It’s the way he plays. Obviously, he’s short! His directness, the way he plays, he keeps the ball, his little jinky runs and stuff like that. I quite like him a lot to be fair”, he explained.

Wilfried Gnonto should be buzzing about that comparison

Considering how devastating Shaun Wright-Phillips was in his pomp, the fact that he sees a bit of himself in Leeds poster-child Wilfried Gnonto is an exciting revelation.

In all fairness, the comparison does quite clearly add up.

Gnonto is built similarly to the former English wide forward, whilst being blessed with quick feet, pace to burn and a direct approach to his game.

Leeds fans and the player himself should be over the moon about the comparison as Wright-Phillips was one hell of a player.

Whilst doing the business for Manchester City for years on end, he was also a commendable servant for Chelsea, whilst being a nightmare for defenders to tame.

In fact, in an era where a number of wingers tend to be less direct and focus on ball retention, Gnonto being likened to a profile of a wide player who would be a prized possession in today’s market proves the Whites truly have a gem on their books.