Paolo Di Canio has congratulated Wilfried Gnonto on his blistering start to life in the Premier League, and also alluded to the teenager's 'beautiful' goal against Cardiff City.
Leeds paid just under £4million to prise Gnonto from FC Zurich on transfer deadline day in September, and the 19-year-old has been nothing short of a revelation since his breakthrough into the first team in November. Gnonto is fast becoming indispensable for Leeds this term, and scored the opening goal in their 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The Italian international also impressed with his brace in the Whites' 5-2 triumph over Cardiff City last month. He opened the scoring inside the opening minute with a stunning scissor kick volley, which has been compared to Di Canio's iconic Premier League goal in West Ham's 2-1 victory over Wimbledon in March 2000.
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Di Canio sent Gnonto a live message on Sky Sports in Italy - jokingly asking his fellow compatriot not to repeat the trick, as his phone has not stopped ringing since.
The former Italian forward told Sky Italia: "Hi Willy, first of all, I want to congratulate you because you have fitted in very quickly into the most beautiful, most coveted, most spectacular, most difficult championship in the world. Well done!
“But when you score like this, I’m getting a lot of phone calls, like I’m your grandfather, asking ‘have you seen it?’ I saw it, it’s beautiful and very similar [to mine].
“A very difficult goal. Beautiful, beautiful. Don’t do it better now or they’ll bombard me with phone calls and I can’t answer them all. Anyway, well done and God Save the Premier League. Good luck and God Bless.”
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