Viktor Gyokeres on role Hong Kong played in his Premier League and World Cup heroics
Swedish striker talks about his Arsenal debut at Kai Tak after big-money move from Sporting Lisbon, and opening his World Cup account
Viktor Gyokeres believes his Arsenal debut in Hong Kong last summer laid the platform for an extraordinary season that the striker extended with a terrific performance in Sweden’s 5-1 World Cup thumping of Tunisia.
Billed as the final piece of the puzzle when head coach Mikel Arteta paid Sporting Lisbon £64 million (US$86 million) for his services, Gyokeres played his first Arsenal match as a substitute in their 1-0 friendly defeat by Tottenham Hotspur at Kai Tak Stadium in July last year.
After contributing 14 goals to help the London club end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, Gyokeres delivered a consummate centre-forward’s display, scoring once and creating another, as Sweden cut Tunisia to ribbons in Monterrey on Sunday.
“Hong Kong was a great experience. It was amazing with the atmosphere and so many fans there,” Gyokeres told the South China Morning Post. “My teammates received me in a very good way from day one. It felt like I was one of them straightaway, so I already felt good when I was in Hong Kong.
“Also, it was the same climate as [Monterrey], so it was good that I got to experience it and knew what to expect for this game [against Tunisia].”
While a member of Tunisia’s chastened squad was told by a journalist from the country that people at home were “ashamed” of the team, and others sheepishly apologised for a pallid performance that cost head coach Sabri Lamouchi his job, the Swedish contingent were talkative and buoyant.