The eternal joy of Willy Gnonto celebrating - The Square Ball 7/11/22

FALLING AND LAUGHING

Written by: Rob Conlon

When I grow up I want to be like Wilf Gnonto. I’ve got ten years on him, yet I can only dream of being as mature as little Willy. By the age of eighteen, he had lived in three different countries, mastered three different languages, and was learning how to cope with the hype of becoming Italy’s youngest ever goalscorer.

Gnonto was expecting to spend the rest of 2022 still living in Zurich, until a call with a few hours left of the transfer window told him, actually, Leeds have messed up, pack your bags. I don’t think I’d cope very well with moving across Europe at a couple of hours’ notice, and that’s without thousands of fans expecting me to save their football club’s season. Judging by the way he celebrated his nineteenth birthday, Willy isn’t easily fazed.

That maturity translates onto the pitch. After sending Elland Road delirious by creating Crysencio Summerville’s winner against Bournemouth, Gnonto sparked a cheer almost as loud when breaking down the left wing as Leeds were holding onto the lead. He was all alone, being chased by five Bournemouth defenders, calmly knocking the ball off one of their legs to win a throw-in deep into the opposition half. The crowd roared in appreciation. Willy looked like he didn’t know what all the fuss was about.

Jesse Marsch has spoken about how Gnonto’s attitude has been a good influence on Summerville, but Cree isn’t the only young player he’s helping. Sam Greenwood was instrumental in Leeds’ comeback, but was twice guilty of hoofing the ball back to Bournemouth while protecting the lead. Liam Cooper tried to have a calming word with Greenwood, leaving Gnonto to teach him by example. Given the chance to counter down the right wing towards goal, Gnonto slowed down, inviting Greenwood and Summerville to join him by the corner. Rasmus Kristensen helped out, turning the tension into a training rondo, easing Elland Road into a series of oles, dragging Bournemouth’s frustrated defenders out of position, and allowing Joffy Gelhardt to walk into space in the penalty area, turning and aiming for the top corner with a shot that was deflected out for a corner. Marsch likes to talk about clarity without ever really explaining what he means or how he’ll provide it; led by Gnonto, the kids were thinking clearer than anyone in Elland Road all afternoon.

🥹 𝗪𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁! pic.twitter.com/5CnYtwNuah

— Leeds United (@LUFC) November 7, 2022

That doesn’t mean Gnonto is too sensible to have fun. His teasing of ‘keeper Mark Travers in pretending to block a quick free-kick before running away was a schoolboy prank made all the funnier by the deadpan delivery, leaving Travers to get Joffy booked instead while he rued those pesky kids.

Gnonto is never having more fun than when he’s celebrating a goal. It has been noticeable whenever he’s played for the Under-21s — it doesn’t matter where he’s playing or at what level, when a teammate scores, Willy wants to be the first to celebrate with them. If a goalscorer needs jumping on, you can bet Gnonto is already getting a piggyback. When Liam Cooper sheepishly shouldered in a fourth against Southampton’s U21s, Wilf kept slapping his captain on the head until he acknowledged his congratulations.

After Greenwood pulled a goal back against Bournemouth, Gnonto made sure Rodrigo ran to get the ball back before making his own beeline for the Kop. There was still plenty of time to get another two, and Greenwood’s first senior goal — setting himself from the edge of the box as if he was preparing to take a free-kick — was far too pretty not to celebrate, even if nobody else was going to join him. He was delayed joining his teammates celebrating Summerville’s winner by being accidentally tripped over by his new bezzie, immediately rolling into a second fall while still grinning. Tyler Adams followed Gnonto, checking if he was alright, but had as much chance of catching him as Bournemouth’s defence. Willy bounced back up and was straight over to the rest of the team, waiting for the pile-on to clear so he could dance with Summerville.

Marsch reiterated the difference in Gnonto and Summerville’s personalities after the match. He had asked both players whether they had seen what he said about them in his pre-match presser. Summerville said no, Gnonto said yes. Part of me hopes Willy secretly pulled a Summerville and snuck in a visit home to celebrate his birthday without Jesse knowing. But as the full-time fireworks over Elland Road proved, Willy Gnonto doesn’t need to go to a party. The party goes to Willy Gnonto.