Smiles are never far from Wilfried Gnonto’s face. Everyone has seen him beaming in Leeds United white at Elland Road, but it’s the same in training and even when faced with the intrusion of the external media, Gnonto is grinning ear to ear.
The teenager’s got a lot to be happy about. Since transferring to the most-watched domestic football competition on the planet, he’s made his Premier League debut, become Italy’s youngest goal scorer in history and been shortlisted for the Golden Boy award.
“Yes, I am like this (happy),” he said. “I try to work hard, but enjoy myself and have fun with my team-mates. This is who I am and I don’t think I have to change it.”
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That cheeriness can be infectious. Jesse Marsch has already talked up the impact on Crysencio Summerville since the Italian arrived at Elland Road.
“He's a good guy,” said Gnonto. “Like me, we just try to have fun on the pitch, we are quite the same as players.
“He's faster than me maybe, but we just try to bring something to the team, to help the team, score goals, assist, this is what we do.”
The head coach has repeatedly talked about the Dutch winger’s room for improvement, especially away from matches. Whether it’s Summerville’s timekeeping, professionalism or mucking in with carrying equipment, Marsch has not been afraid to compare that perspective to Gnonto, the model professional.
Gnonto, two years Summerville’s junior, does not feel he has noticeably put a metaphorical arm around his friend’s shoulder. He said: “I didn't do anything.
“Maybe with me, he found someone like him, we are quite the same, we just try to work hard on the pitch and off the pitch. We just try to enjoy ourselves and be together.”
The story Marsch tells is about one of those press conferences he used to get a message to Summerville. Was he paying attention to it? No. Was Gnonto? Of course.
Gnonto admits he doesn’t watch every one of Marsch’s briefings and on this occasion may have gotten lucky when the American happened to ask the question, but he is studious and alert to the messages he is getting. It helps to be clear on what your boss wants on the pitch.
“It's easier, I just want to do what the coach tells me,” he said. “Every time I just ask questions to know what I have to do and it's easier for me. I try to play better so it helps me a lot.”
The 19-year-old has already come a long way in his short career and he’s not about to let opportunities get away from him with an ignorant attitude. This is the 16-year-old who left the security and comfort of Inter Milan’s low-profile youth teams for the cold, hard reality of senior men’s football in Switzerland.
Gnonto wants to put himself in challenging circumstances. He wants to test himself and he wants to be playing football, pushing the envelope.
“This was my first move, so I had some questions and things because I wasn’t sure,” he said of the FC Zurich switch. “With 16 it’s difficult. I saw myself at Inter, I was good at Inter, I didn’t have any problems, but if you want to be a player you have to take these decisions.
“This was the best. I’m glad I had my parents with me also in Zurich. This was the best one and now I’m here, so this was the best decision I could make too.”
Based on the impact he made in his first two Leeds games, pushing his limits and getting out of his comfort zone may just see him thrive at Elland Road.
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