The number 14 shirt of Viktor Gyokeres is already breaking sales records at Arsenal, just days after he signed to his new club. For Arsenal fans, the jersey has a special significance: their new centre forward will wear the same number as the club’s record goal scorer, Thierry Henry.
But Gyokeres has rejected comparisons with Henry, insisting that he wants to write his own story in north London.
“Of course I know about the history,” said Gyokeres, the 27-year-old from Sweden, speaking at Arsenal’s Hong Kong hotel during its preseason tour through Asia. “But, to be honest, there weren’t too many numbers to pick from. But of course, that one was available, so when I knew that, it was an easy choice to take it.
“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.”
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Manager Mikel Arteta saw Gyokeres’s willingness to take number 14 as a sign of self-belief.
“I use the word conviction,” Arteta told a news conference after open training at the Kai Tak Stadium. “That’s the first thing that I noticed when I spoke to him.
“Someone very determined, someone that was already really attached to the club, the way he was talking about the club, the history and, in this case, Thierry and what the shirt represented. He straight away felt it, and when you feel it, go for it.”
Speaking to the media for the first time since joining Arsenal for an initial fee of €63.5 million, Gyokeres gave the impression of a player laser-focused on his on-field performance.
Gyokeres’s reputation and his goalscoring record, along with that iconic number 14 shirt, come with certain expectations. But he shows no signs of feeling external pressure.
“I think I have enough expectations on myself,” he said. “I’ll just try to perform, to be honest. It’s not really up to me how people think or expect.”
There is a quiet assurance to Gyokeres. On the field, he can be a dominant force. Off it, his size and stature are striking, but they are contrasted with a more reserved nature. When the conversation centres on his individual qualities, he prefers to deflect, emphasising the importance of self-improvement and the team ethic.
Gyokeres was presented to fans on July 27th before the team’s 3-2 friendly win over Newcastle United in Singapore, and received a rapturous ovation.
“Of course, it’s great to see,” he said of the reception at the Singapore National Stadium. “That gives you extra motivation coming into it. I’m just looking forward to starting even more.”
Gyokeres then made his first appearance for Arsenal on Thursday against Tottenham Hotspur, when he came on in the 77th minute of a 1-0 loss in Hong Kong.
He had to wait patiently for that moment. The latter stages of his move from Sporting Lisbon became contentious, as the two teams haggled over terms.
“It’s been a new experience,” he said. “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.”
Throughout those tense negotiations, Arsenal’s hand was strengthened by Gyokeres’s insistence on joining them.
“I felt that they wanted me here,” he said. “But also because it’s a very big club with a lot of history. I just felt that I really wanted to come here and be a part of this club.”
There were other interested parties. Sporting fielded a late inquiry from Manchester United, but Gyokeres was determined to join Arsenal.
Gyokeres’s transfer brings him back to the UK, where he had spells with Brighton, Swansea City and Coventry City. He left Brighton in 2021 without playing a single minute of Premier League soccer in three years on their books, and now returns to the competition as a star.
“Obviously, it’s the best league in the world, so of course that was always a goal to play in the Premier League,” he said. “So when I felt it was the right time, I didn’t hesitate to come back.”
Gyokeres believes that his previous five years’ experience of English soccer could accelerate his adaptation.
“I think it makes it easier,” he said. “I’m used to the weather and everything around, so some aspects I think it helps.
“But of course, there are a lot of new things as well: a new group, a new idea of playing. I think I need to adapt to that as well.”
Gyokeres scored 97 goals in 104 appearances for Sporting, but he has not set any specific goalscoring targets for the coming season. He said he had already spoken to Arteta about the plans for him.
“He just said to try to use my qualities as much as I can,” Gyokeres said, adding: “So far, it’s been feeling great. I’m looking forward to doing even more.”
The club captain Martin Odegaard, from Norway, has played his part helping Gyokeres to settle in.
“With the language and everything, it is a bit easier for me to help him,” Odegaard said. “We can speak our own languages. And Scandinavians always bond well together – in that way it has been really natural. Every new player we always try to help them in the best possible way.”
Gyokeres has watched Arsenal in recent months, but he rejected the idea that he is the missing piece of a trophy-winning jigsaw. He believes that if Arsenal is to achieve its targets, it will be a collective effort.
“I think you need everyone on the pitch, to be honest,” he said. “You need 11 on the pitch and people on the bench as well that can make an impact. You need a whole team that are together and play together. Then I think you have a very good chance to have a great season.” – New York Times
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