Scout who discovered Viktor Gyokeres makes eye-opening comments about Arsenal star

The scout who unearthed Viktor Gyokeres has admitted that Arsenal's new superstar striker was very much the unfinished article when he first discovered him, but noted that his ability to score was undeniable. David Eklund, a former scout at Swedish side Brommapojkarna, has offered an insight into the 27-year-old striker who recently left Sporting CP for Arsenal, after a lengthy and difficult transfer saga.

Gyokeres, whoturned down a move to Manchester United to join the Gunners, has always possessed a raw talent that has long been evident. Eklund first discovered a 12-year-old Gyokeres playing for Swedish fourth division side Aspudden-Tellus, a team the striker played for until he was 15, and immediately picked up on his ruthless eye for goal.

"I didn’t think he would become a star at that time," Ecklund said to The Athletic. "I wasn’t sure straight away. He was very strong and hardworking. He shot from distance and scored with his head. He was a killer in the penalty area, but he wasn’t that good technically."

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Eklund revealed that such was the Swede's ability to score, he made the eye-opening observation that he could even bag a goal off his rear end, he added: "I followed him for a while, watching him once a month, and made the first attempt to get him when he was 13. I kept in contact with his father for the next couple of years.

"We played technical football, so it (his lack of finesse at that stage) was a bit of an issue, but sometimes you can just go for technical players and they don’t work.

"His goal-scoring was so good, it boded well for the future, and working with our coaches would improve him. He scored with both feet, the head, (he laughs) the a**e. The first time I properly met him and shook his hand, his hand swallowed mine."

Bjorn Thuresson, president of Aspudden-Tellus, noted that it was Gyokeres' sheer size that caught his attention. "He wasn’t that big as a child, but he was always physical," he said.

"It is funny to see now, because there are aspects of his play he’s kept from his early years. He was goal-oriented. He was not that interested in spending too much time in the middle of the pitch — he always headed for goal and he scored a lot.

"You would often see Viktor and his friends practising before training. He was extremely focused on his football, and that’s all you heard about him. Well, that and you’d just hear people talking about how many goals he scored."

Gyokeres left Sweden for Brighton in 2017 after scoring 25 goals in 67 appearances for Brommapojkarna, whom he moved to after his stint with Aspudden-Tellus. In his first season for the Seagulls he scored seven in nine for the club's U23s team, and one goal for the senior side in a League Cup game.

A loan move to Bundesliga side St. Pauli followed where seven goals earned him another loan switch to Swansea City. However, it was his transfer to Coventry City that made everyone sit up and take notice after he bagged 43 goals in 116 appearances, earning him a move to Portugal.

A staggering 97 goals for Sporting followed. He now looks to transform an Arsenal attack that stuttered last season as Mikel Arteta's side failed to secure the Premier League title. Upon his arrival in north London, Gyokeres told Arsenal club media: "I always want to score."

He added: "To be a part of this club and to score in this kit and with this badge in front of all the supporters, I can't wait. It will be an amazing feeling. I started here [in England], it feels like a long time ago. I think I've improved a lot since then. Now I want to prove myself for real and perform together with the team."

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