Willy Gnonto: "I'm really happy at the moment" | OneFootball

The Italian speaks to Matthew Lewis and Dom Matteo for the Leeds United podcast

Key Quotes From The Podcast:

2024 has been fantastic for you, to get your head down and get on with it, it must be feeling like a fresh start and that you’ve smashed it so far?

“I think 2024 is going really well for me and for the team as well. I believe in my ability, I’m confident, I just believe in myself and the work that I put in, even when things weren’t going well. You know how football is, it’s mentally tough and you can feel a bit down but I’ve always been lucky to have my family and teammates with me.

“I’m really happy at the moment, I’m happy because I’m finally showing what I can do and helping the team as well.”

Particularly in this league, you’ve got to win ugly sometimes and it seems we’ve figured out a way to do that. You’ve got to put a solid graft in and with the schedule that must have been tough, wasn’t it four games in 10 days recently?

“I didn’t even know it was possible! That was the first time in my professional career [it happened]. When you have that many games, it’s tough to play sexy football every time.

“So, you have to make sure, if you are not at your best, that you can take the points. If you win ugly, then you win ugly. This was the difference between a couple of games we had won and before. Maybe before, we were always close but a situation would go against us, whereas now we are on it and every situation is for us. Sheffield Wednesday, first half we weren’t that good, 1-0, second half we play better and we win 2-0. Stoke, not the best game but we won 1-0, so I think these are the wins that can make a difference at the end.”

I would love to get to know you as a guy, you’re Italian, you played in Switzerland, how did you get into football?

“I used to live close to a 5-a-side pitch, so I could see from my window everyone playing and I always wanted to play. This was in Verbania, about one hour from Milan. I started to play with my dad, my cousins and my friends just outside my house.

“I was lucky enough to have parents like mine, because they have made incredible sacrifices for me. I’m in a position now where football and Leeds is life and I feel that is the best gift I can give to them. They moved with me and we all live together.

“I was first with Inter Milan, from eight to 16 just before COVID. I decided with my family that if I really wanted to play professional football, going to a lower league was the perfect choice for me, because I had the chance to play straight away with Zurich. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t go to Zurich.”