Whilst youngster Wilfried Gnonto has shone for Leeds United on the pitch this season, it was his personality off it which has endeared him to his teammates so quickly.
This is according to Whites striker Patrick Bamford, who was quick to praise the 19-year-old’s humility and general good nature in a recent interview with Leeds Live.
Gnonto has four goals in 14 appearances for Leeds, with the overall quality of his performances swiftly establishing him as a fan favourite. His displays since signing from FC Zurich in the summer have not evaded the attention of pundits either – with Gary Neville suggesting the way he plays would not look amiss in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side.
Despite his clear playing ability, Bamford claims it was his personality which initially warmed Gnonto to the squad.
“He’s very relaxed, he’s always happy, he’s a great kid in terms of he always wants to do the right thing,” Bamford said.
“I was going to say he’s never late but he was late once, it was just the odd occasion!
“He does everything right, he’s a professional and the best part about him is that he’s very humble – that’s something I like about him. He’s always happy, always smiling but… he doesn’t know how good he is.
“Or rather he does know how good he is but he doesn’t like to show it if you know what I mean. I think that’s why all the lads warmed to him straight away because we know how crucial he is to the team whilst trying not to put pressure on him because he’s only 19.
“So it’s all about trying to get the best out of him whilst trying not to put too much pressure on him.”