Viktor Gyokeres is arguably the hottest striker right now outside of Europe’s top five leagues but every story of stardom begins at a low point, and the Swede had his in England.
It is well-known that Viktor Gyokeres was first identified by the Brighton scouts after he impressed in his home country of Sweden.
He was at Brighton for four seasons, but not every one of those was spent with The Seagulls, as he tried to make his case for a first-team place with multiple loan spells.
Finally, his loan spell at Coventry City convinced The Sky Blues that he was worth taking a punt on and he flourished there. But not before having the most difficult loan spell of his career just before.
Viktor Gyökeres of Swansea City during the FA Cup Third Round match between Stevenage and Swansea City at the Lamex Stadium on January 09, 2021
Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images
Viktor Gyokeres’ Championship loan was lowest point before breakout
Gyokeres was bought by Sporting from Coventry for a record sale which was deserved because his scoring exploits had the team fighting for promotion.
However, he had first joined Coventry on loan for just six months in January 2021, because his loan spell just before had become extremely difficult.
Gyokeres had joined Swansea City in October but was recalled by Brighton in January. The Swedish striker had said that he wanted to help Swansea with “goals and assists” (via Swansea’s official website), but he had a whimper of a spell.
Gyokeres played 11 league games, but only 282 minutes of football, and failed to get off the mark in the league, scoring just once in the cup.
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There were just two starts in those 11 games and he completed a total of just above three 90-minute games in more than three months.
At the nadir of his career in England, Gyokeres joined Coventry for another Championship loan, who weren’t doing so well at the time.
It was effectively another step back for the Swede, but the step back he took then was in preparation for the massive jump he was about to take.
He took time to get going at Coventry but once he did, he never looked back. He scored 17 in his first full season with the team, and upped it to 21, the season which got Sporting to buy him.
There, he came under the tutelage of a certain Ruben Amorim, and the rest is history.
Man Utd can use a personality like Viktor Gyokeres
Beyond his obvious goals and assists for Sporting, of which there are many, this tale speaks of why United must go all-in for Gyokeres.
Not only does he have prior experience in English football, Gyokeres will be determined to set the record straight and prove those wrong who doubted his pedigree in England.
Having come from the lowest of lows to become the player he is today, United will rest easy knowing they have a mentality monster in the squad who won’t shirk away from responsibility.
For a squad that has been accused of downing the tools far too often, Gyokeres’ arrival will be a jolt of electricity to the dressing room.
Combine that with Ruben Amorim knowing how to use him perfectly, and Gyokeres knowing what Amorim wants from his strikers, this becomes a dream fit.
His spell at Swansea was the start of the making of Gyokeres. His success at Man Utd can be the main event of his tale in English football.