Ian Wright reveals what he privately messaged Viktor Gyokeres after his Arsenal debut

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Arsenal legend Ian Wright has been in contact with Viktor Gyokeres following the striker’s debut at Old Trafford.

Gyokeres has received a lot of unfair criticism after his Premier League debut.

Despite only being on the pitch for just an hour of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester United, the striker has already been written off by some members of the media. 

Chelsea icon Frank Leboeuf went as far as to say that signing Gyokeres was a ‘useless’ move by Arsenal, which says all that needs to be known about the pressure the 27-year-old is already under. 

• READ MORE: Micah Richards thinks he knows how many goals Viktor Gyokeres will score this season

Ian Wright has texted Viktor Gyokeres 

One figure who knows all about the pressure that comes with being Arsenal’s primary source of goals is Ian Wright.

Speaking on the Arseblog Arsecast podcast, Wright revealed that he’s already been in contact with Gyokeres following his uneventful debut. 

“I’ve already sent my messages to Viktor, and he’s already sent them back, you know, about how much he’s looking forward to doing what he’s doing.

“I sent that message to Viktor, saying you’re mirroring me. So all you’ve got to do now is continue to have the faith in yourself that got you through the hard times.”

Wright wants Gyokeres to keep believing in himself after making the £64m transfer to the Emirates, with the Arsenal legend wary of how the forward could be feeling.

“Because you doubt yourself,” Wright said.

“You doubt yourself because all of a sudden you’re coming into a dressing room and you’re playing with Saka and you’re playing with Odegaard. You know what I mean?”

It was a heartwarming revelation from the legendary striker, who is showing full support for Mikel Arteta’s new talisman. 

The pressure on Gyokeres is absurd

It’s quite remarkable and rather deflating to see the pile-on Gyokeres is experiencing right now.

The Sweden international didn’t score within an hour of his Premier League debut at Old Trafford, yet the reaction suggests the striker has been at Arsenal for some time and is on a lengthy scoring lull.

Goals will resolve the negative discourse, and that’s what the 27-year-old is best at doing, having netted 97 domestic goals since the 2023/24 season began.

Having walked the walk, Wright is tending to Gyokeres’ needs, which is an assuring detail that could make all the difference for the player right now.