Jesse Marsch shares exciting view on Leeds United's Willy Gnonto after Whites viewing - YEP 17/11/22
Whites boss Jesse Marsch has hailed the “high level” attributes that Willy Gnonto is already bringing to Leeds United at just 19 years of age.
By Lee Sobot
Young Italian international forward Gnonto joined Leeds in
September on transfer deadline day for a fee of around 4.5m euros from Swiss
side FC Zurich. After four outings for United’s under-21s, Gnonto was then
handed his first team debut as a 72nd-minute substitute in last month’s Premier
League clash at Liverpool in which he set up the winning goal for Crysencio
Summerville in a 2-1 victory.
One week later, Gnonto again excelled off the bench upon his
Elland Road debut against Bournemouth as he stormed forward in the 84th-minute
to set up another late Summerville winner in a thrilling 4-3 triumph. The
Italian was then handed his first league start in last weekend’s clash at
Tottenham Hotspur but the teenager was taken off at half-time after a quieter
display as the forward battled on having taken a couple of knocks. Marsch has
revealed that his withdrawal was due to tactical reasons and the Whites boss
has given an exciting appraisal of the dynamic forward from what he has seen so
far upon three first team appearances, predominantly on the left flank.
"In general, we really like Willy,” said Marsch. “I
think his mentality to improve, his understanding of tactics, his intelligence,
they're all at a really high level. So for a young player, he doesn't play like
a young player which is great to see.
"He was really effective coming from the bench against
Bournemouth. I think he was also good in this match but when we looked at the
fact that we needed to make some tactical changes, we thought that that made
the most sense to take him off."
