Willy Gnonto interview: 'Moving to Leeds was one of the best days of my life'

As we walk through the Thorp Arch training facilities, one Leeds United member of staff makes a passing comment. “I wish we could bottle up Willy Gnonto and save it.” And after spending time with the Premier League’s newest young star, it is hard to disagree with the sentiment.

His smile is broad and laugh infectious. Ask him whether he remembers any Latin from his traditional Liceo classico education in Italy and there is an amused sideways look and a shake of the head. “Nooooo,” he answers with a chuckle.

It has only been five months in English football but Willy Gnonto has already made a big impression. After a frantic deadline-day deal to bring him to Elland Road earlier than expected, the 19-year-old has emerged as a talent who adds fight to his craft.

He has scored one of the goals of the season with his beautiful “Paolo Di Canio” volley in the FA Cup against Cardiff, but it is his battling spirit that Gary Neville picked out in his Sky Sports punditry when Leeds were beaten by Aston Villa.

“It has always been part of my game,” Gnonto says. “I’ve always had this from my parents, especially my Dad. It is the first thing he tells me. It is not whether I’ve played well or I haven’t played well. That’s okay. You have to bring something to the game. To battle. To fight. And to give everything. That is what I try to do. Sometimes I will play well, sometimes not. But I always try to bring my character to a game and give something to the team.”

'We were not rich or special... but we were together'

Gnonto has imprinted his character on Leeds in a short space of time. Still only 19, there is talk of him being the club’s best teenage talent since Harry Kewell emerged in the late Nineties.

His journey to the Premier League started in Italy, where he was born to Ivorian parents who moved to Baveno on Lake Maggiore for a better life 25 years ago. His father, Boris, worked in a factory, his mother, Chantal, cleaned hotel rooms. Their only child was in the academy at Inter Milan.

“We weren’t rich or something special but we had everything we needed to have at the time,” he said. “We were together. We were in a house and my parents had a job. I just tried to play football and that was the most difficult part because Milan was not close. It was tough but we didn’t really have problems because we are humble.”

His ascent has been rapid, making his professional debut just over two years ago for FC Zurich. He had been happy enough at Inter, getting words of advice from Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez when he rubbed shoulders with the first team. “I was an Inter fan, so it was paradise,” he said. But he was ready for senior football and Switzerland was his opportunity.

Signing for Leeds 'one of the best days of my life'

Gnonto was on Leeds’s radar when he won the Swiss title and the plan was to sign him during the current window. But when deals for Cody Gakpo and Bamba Dieng fell through, it was decided to unearth their gem ahead of schedule, the deal concluded so quickly Gnonto went straight into the squad without his first-team initiation song.

“I trained in the morning. And then I came home and slept two or three hours and my Dad told me to keep my phone close,” he explains. “We were sitting at home and didn’t really know we would be going but at 6pm or 7pm my agent called me to pack something as we may be going to Leeds.

“They called me to go to the airport but when I got there they said to go back, if it is done go in the morning. So I came the day after deadline day and did the medical. I don’t think I slept, I was so excited. It was one of the best days of my life. Sometimes if you know something beforehand, you have time to realise it and think about it. This was so fast that I didn’t think. Suddenly I’m here. Incredible.”

Leeds fans immediately took to their new signing. At 5ft 7in, he scrapped against centre-backs towering above him. His running was intelligent but fearless. He showed why Roberto Mancini has fast-tracked him to the Italy senior squad, his assist for best friend Crysencio Summerville to score the winner against Bournemouth showing deftness along with his power.

Then there was the goal against Cardiff, an instinctive flying scissor-volley that flew into the top corner. “On the pitch I didn’t realise because everything is so fast. I looked back at it. Wow. On video it is better than I saw it at the time,” he said. “You have to react on the pitch and for this, I didn’t have time to think. It was the first minute, so let’s try. If it’s not a goal, it’s not a problem. I just tried.”

'I was like 'Wow, wow, this is home'

Supporters have been asked to stop singing a song about Gnonto, but there will surely be new versions – family-friendly, the club hopes – if he takes the club away from danger at the foot of the Premier League or to silverware.

“From the first day, the fans have been incredible. I didn't even play for the first team and I was in the city with my mum and they were saying, ‘Welcome, you will feel great here’,” he said. “I was like 'Wow, wow, this is home'. This made the difference for me on the pitch, the players don’t feel like strangers. It feels like home and we try to give our best every time so it is very important.

“With the players we have and the quality we have, we deserve to be higher in the league and we felt like in the last couple of weeks we were in a good way and didn’t get what we deserved. It is exciting for us as we have players who can make the difference and the coach sees it as well. We just try to play to improve and we know we can stay in the league.”

Gnonto has not been into the city centre much recently, such is the fixture schedule and spending time at home with his parents, where live football is on their TV every day of the week. There are arguments. Boris is a Liverpool fan and fights his corner. It gets heated and passionate, as you would expect from a family rooted in Italian football. It is that fight Leeds fans are loving.