Viktor Gyokeres knows exactly what comes with the territory. Arsenal’s new £63.7million striker has chosen to wear the iconic No.14 shirt, once made famous by Thierry Henry.
And he’s not shying away from the weight it carries. “Of course I know about the history,” said Gyokeres. “There weren’t too many to pick from. But of course that one was available. So when I knew that it was an easy choice to take it.”
He isn’t chasing comparisons with the club legend either. “It’s not really my intention to be compared with what he’s achieved in his career. Especially here. I just want to do my own thing and show my qualities. Of course he was an amazing player, but different from me. I just want to try to do my own thing.”
Mikel Arteta knows signing a striker who could handle the pressure was vital and loves the fact his new star wants the No.14 on his back.
“I think I use the word conviction,” said Arteta. “That’s the first thing that I noticed when I spoke to him. Someone very determined, someone that was really already attached to the club, the way he was talking about the club, the history, in this case Thierry [Henry], and what the shirt represented. I felt it, so when you feel it, go for it.”
Club captain Martin Odegaard is already excited by what he’s seen. “I think you’ve all seen what he’s done in his career so far. Especially the last season at Sporting, the numbers speak for themselves. He’s a very complete player. He’s physical, strong, fast, good finisher, and intelligent as well. You can also see the hunger, the energy he brings. He’s only trained a few times, but you can already see the quality and the willingness.”
Gyokeres could make his debut in Thursday night’s north London derby against Spurs in Hong Kong, the first ever held outside the UK. The wait for the move to go through wasn’t easy.
The new striker added: “It’s been a new experience. I haven’t really been in that situation before. It’s been a lot of waiting from my side. I wanted to come here, but it wasn’t that easy. But I’m finally here and it feels great.”
He kept fit with a relentless solo routine. “I tried to train as much as possible by myself and keep the day going. A lot of days were the same kind of routine. I woke up, trained, had dinner and then went to bed again. It was like that for a few weeks, but it was worth it for sure.”
Despite other offers, Arsenal was always the one. “Yes, I think you can always have a decision of your future. Of course there were other clubs as well, but I didn’t feel it was a difficult choice for me this time.”
He refutes the suggestion he is the missing link for the north London club and stated Arsenal have what it takes to win as a unit.
“You need 11 on the pitch and people on the bench that can make an impact. You need a whole team that are together. Then I think you have a very good chance to have a great season.”
Asked if he’ll be ready for the opener at Old Trafford, Gyokeres smiled: “Yeah.”
