Junior Firpo has lauded rising star Wilfried Gnonto and stated what his Leeds United teammate does for his age is ‘not normal’.
The Leeds left-back spoke about how Wilfried Gnonto is a ‘shy’ character both in training, and previously out on the pitch, but now he is cooking up the magic.
The 19-year-old signed as an unknown figure from Swiss side FC Zurich in the summer, but now he is becoming a household name on the Premier League stage.
So much so, that Leeds fans won’t like this, but there is already transfer interest in the player with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal looking at the all-action forward.
This shouldn’t be a surprise because this season Gary Neville explained how Gnonto’s style of play is exactly what Pep Guardiola would want from his wide players at Manchester City.
Nonetheless, Firpo shared his thoughts on his Leeds teammate, as the £13 million star (Sky Sports) thinks the teenager has been ‘unbelievable’, as he told the club’s official podcast.
“I think nobody expected this from Willy,” said Firpo. “When he first came, no one expect it.
“He was just a shy guy that didn’t talk too much. Even he was a little bit shy on the pitch and on the training sessions.
“But, as soon as he went onto the pitch, he was unbelievable, since day one. His maturity is not normal for a 19-year-old.
“It’s not normal how he plays – it’s unbelievable. I am really happy for him because he is such a good guy.”
CAN GNONTO HELP KEEP LEEDS UP?
There is a worry that the teenager has picked up an injury over the international break after an issue with his ankle during Italy’s win over Malta.
That’s the last thing Javi Gracia needs is a few of his players out with knocks because Max Weber also returned with an issue which he addressed to fans.
Either way, if Gnonto, alongside the likes of Rodrigo, Tyler Adams and Jack Harrison, to name a few, can cook during these next few weeks, then those points will be put on the table for them to stay up.
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