After a long and winding transfersaga, the move from Viktor Gyoke to Arsenal is said to be sealed. One of the most dreaded strikers in world football returns to England – not as an unproven prospect, but as a deadly, tested target machine.
The Swedish attacker arrives with unfinished things, ready to silence any persistent doubts. But who is the man behind the flurry of goals and the now iconic masked celebration? What reveals his name about his roots? And perhaps even more important, can he finally conquer the Premier League?
Early debut and first failure in England
Viktor Gyokeres was born in Stockholm in 1998. His football trip started at the local club IFK AspHuiden-Tellus. At the age of 14 he moved to the prestigious Youth Academy of IF Brommapojkarna, a club that is known in Sweden to develop young talent.
Only a few years later, at the age of 17, he made his senior debut in the Swedish Second Division (Superettan). In the 2017 season he had become the top scorer of the club.
Gyokees is no stranger to English football after he played in the country before Arsenal came to call. In 2018, Brighton & Hove Albion insured the signature of the then rising Teenage Star.
The recent seasons of Gyokees in Numbersflash score
Despite the switch to the Premier League, Gyokeres, however, found First-Team Opportunities Limited in Brighton. He mainly played for the U23 side and only made a handful of senior performances in domestic cup matches. It became clear that he regularly needed senior football to continue to develop.
He then moved to Coventry, another English club, before he was signed by Sporting CP in Portugal.
Hungarian descent and ice hockey
Gyokeres has Hungarian descent through his father's grandfather, who emigrated from Hungary to Sweden during the Hungarian Revolution from 1956. At that time, many Hungarians fled the country because of political unrest and the Soviet invasion. Viktor therefore has double citizenship, Sweden and Hungary.
The surname 'Gyokeres' means 'rooted' in Hungarian. It must be pronounced as 'ye-cher-eth'.
As a child who grew up in Sweden, he started playing both football and ice hockey at a very young age, but soon started to concentrate alone on football.
The mask
After scoring, Gyokeres often celebrates by simulating the action to set up a mask – a gesture that has become his trademark. While fans speculated about the meaning, the striker later revealed true inspiration in an Instagram post, with the subtitles: “Nobody gave it until I turned on the mask.”
The quote refers to the iconic villain Bane from the Dark Knight Rises. Bane is known for its strength, presence and intimidating mask. Just like Bane, Gyokeres uses the gesture to project strength and project respect on command – both from the crowd and his opponents.
The celebration adds a dark, more frightening lead to his persona. It is more than just a tribute, it's a message: “I'm here and I can't stop.”
Why would you look at him?
The answer is simple: goals! Many goals. Gyokeres is a modern striker who can not only score, but can also help, help and dominates defenders.
With explosive power, intelligent movement and a tireless working speed, Gyokees combines the old -fashioned power with modern mobility. At 27 he is in his prime.