Viktor Gyokeres: The rise of a sporting striker to become one of the best strikers in Europe

Gyokeres’ breakthrough into Brommapojkarna’s first team came as a teenager, and he quickly became a key member of the team, scoring 20 goals in 56 games.

“They were struggling in the second division when he was 16, and the first-team coach came to me when all his strikers were injured,” Eklund continues.

“He said, ‘David, do you have players who can play at that level now?’ I said: ‘I have Viktor. He is a good player; he is strong enough to play with older players and he works hard.’

‘No one at Bromma thought about him. It took time – maybe two or three months – but then he started to settle down. The coach called me back and said ‘wow’.”

Gyokeres’ move to Coventry in 2021, where he scored 39 goals, was a pivotal moment. He became the Sky Blues’ main man and developed a good rapport with manager Mark Robins, who again saw through the initial skepticism.

“He was loaned out for half a season and did well, but not all fans were excited about his return the following season,” says BBC CWR’s Clive Eakin. “But Mark Robins clearly saw something in his and finally bought it.

“From that moment on it was clear he was something special. His ability to run up and through defenders (stood out). Every time he collected the ball around the halfway line you thought about his chances of going through to score. He has power and is confident in his finishing.”

Premier League clubs were already linked before Gyokeres joined Sporting. Instead, it was Manchester City director Hugo Viana who jumped at the chance to sign him, and the Swede’s reputation has soared since then.