Willy Gnonto makes Leeds United vow and expresses delight following new personal Whites 'first' - YEP 12/12/22
Willy Gnonto has expressed his delight at a personal Whites first and made a vow about Leeds United's work for their Premier League return.
Lee Sobot
Nineteen-year-old Italian international forward Gnonto is
now three months into life as a Leeds player following his switch from FC
Zurich on September's transfer deadline day. The attacker has already savoured
two Premier League outings plus a first Whites assist and the teen got his
first experience of being away with Leeds as a squad upon last week's training
camp in Spain.
The young Italian loved it and says both he and the squad
are determined to unearth improvement over the next two weeks before the
competitive return against Manchester City. Jesse Marsch's Whites will take in
two home friendlies against Friday's visitors Real Sociedad and next
Wednesday's opponents AS Monaco before their Premier League comeback. The
Whites will then face their first competitive game back after the
six-and-a-half week break for the World Cup with the visit of Manchester City
on Wednesday, December 28.
"We have two to three weeks until the first game so we
are just trying to improve a lot," said Gnonto to LUTV. "We know that
we have a lot to work hard on and we are just trying to do it and be ready for
the first game."
Asked about his experience of the training camp in Spain,
Gnonto beamed: "It was really hard and really funny also I can say. It was
my first time with the team so I am just very happy. I think we worked really
hard and we tried to improve."
Leeds spent just short of a week in Spain and concluded
their training camp with a 2-1 victory against Thursday night's hosts Elche in
a friendly which also doubled up as the 2022 Festa d'Elx Trophy match. Elche
have hosted the Festa d'Elx Trophy annually since 1960 in the form of a one-off
friendly against European opposition, played home or away. Barcelona, Real
Madrid and Benfica feature among the former winners and goals from Joe Gelhardt
and a late stunner from Mateusz Klich gave Marsch's side a 2-1 triumph.
Leeds were 1-0 down at the interval but turned the game on
its head in the second half during which Gnonto was introduced as one of five
substitutions in the 61st minute. "Of course it was a difficult
game," said Gnonto. "We just tried to do our best and we are happy
with the win."
