Former Arsenal player says he saw something that made Viktor Gyokeres ‘throw his toys out of the pram’

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Arsenal fans are waiting patiently to see Viktor Gyokeres in action for the first time following his transfer.

Mikel Arteta said there’s a chance that Gyokeres could make his debut against Tottenham, as Arsenal prepare to face Spurs in the first-ever pre-season North London Derby. 

After signing his contract, the Swede travelled to Singapore to meet his new teammates and will now join the squad on their way to Hong Kong.

Arsenal fans know what Gyokeres can offer, having scored 97 domestic goals over the previous two seasons, but what can the squad expect from the new boy?

Ben Sheaf reveals how competitive Viktor Gyokeres is behind the scenes 

It’s clear that the Arsenal squad are excited by the arrival of Gyokeres, with many eagerly anticipating what the striker can add to the dressing room. 

No one can give a better insight than someone who has shared the dressing room with the 27-year-old, something former Gunner Ben Sheaf did at Coventry City.

Sheaf left Arsenal for good in 2021 during Arteta’s reign, signing for Coventry on a permanent basis, where he crossed paths with Gyokeres.

In an interview with The Athletic, the former Hale Ender revealed what it was like to train with Gyokeres. 

“He was relentless with how much he practised,” Sheaf said.

“He’d do a lot of finishing drills after training. I remember once in training, we did 11-v-11, and the ball got thrown into him when I was playing against him.

“He pinned and rolled me, and I just couldn’t do anything about it. That was the first time I remember thinking: ‘Blimey, this is what opposition teams are going to feel’. That was the first time I felt his physicality.”

Sheaf then revealed what would make his teammate tip over the edge during training.

“He was always ultra-competitive in training. He’d throw his toys out of the pram if we didn’t win a small-sided game.”

The defender honed in on Gyokeres’ competitive edge, insisting that Arsenal’s new signing is a ‘good lad’, but was always one to argue in training due to his desire to win.

“He’s a good lad, but he’d be arguing in training, always wanting to win and doing finishing drills after.”

Gyokeres’ record at Coventry City

A striker hungry to win and score goals is exactly what Arteta needed to add to his squad.

The Arsenal manager appears to have lucked out with Gyokeres, as the Swede prepares to return to England after two years away. 

The last time the 27-year-old played for an English club was in the Championship, where he spent two years at Coventry after a successful loan from Brighton.

Gyokeres scored 43 goals in 116 appearances for the Sky Blues, as well as recording 17 assists.

The forward’s tale has been very much about gradually rising to the top, with his scoring improving at Coventry before soaring to new heights with Sporting. 

It will be fascinating to see how Gyokeres fares in the Premier League, as Arsenal wait patiently to debut their new number 14.