Viktor Gyokeres has shown what he's like after repeatedly being told to leave training pitch

New Arsenal signing Viktor Gyokeres was repeatedly told to leave the training pitch at his former club after constantly “trying to get better”. The Gunners finally ended their long search for a star striker last week by completing a £55million deal - potentially rising to £63.5m - for the Swede.

Gyokeres, 27, signed a five-year contract at the end of a lengthy transfer saga, during which he refused to report back to training with Portuguese champions Sporting CP. His persistence in getting the transfer over the line has already endeared him to Arsenal fans.

And they could be left even more impressed by his work-ethic on the pitch in the coming months, having been given a glimpse of the kind of player he is by one of Gyokeres’ former coaches.

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Long before his meteoric rise to becoming one of the most feared strikers in Europe, with 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting across two seasons, the then-Brighton forward was sent out on loan to St. Pauli in the German second tier for the 2019/20 season.

Despite not being as prolific at the time, netting just seven goals in 28 appearances before spending the following season on loan at Swansea City, he still possessed a monstrous mentality.

Former St. Pauli assistant manager Andre Trulsen told The Sun: "I had not heard of Viktor when we signed him on loan from Brighton. We were a Bundesliga 2 club. But he came and joined us at St Pauli and I was very impressed.

“He was very physical and also knew how to use his attributes. He was eager to get better and worked hard to get more minutes during games.

"Before the winter break, he worked really hard to adjust to German football and to play in our system. His efforts paid off and he played more for us in the second half of the season.

"Viktor definitely played a part in us avoiding relegation and he gave everything. I could see his potential but as is often the case in football, you could not be sure he would be so successful.

"On more than one occasion, we had to tell him to leave the training pitch because he never wanted to stop trying to get better. I am sure his decision to come to Hamburg and play for St Pauli was helpful for his next step and I am so pleased he has done well in Portugal

"Hopefully, he can be a big player for Arsenal and can help them to success."

Gyokereswill wear the No. 14 jersey for Arsenal this season, made famous by club legend Thierry Henry. But he is unlikely to be overwhelmed by the step up, having worked towards this stage for the entirety of his career.

Ex-Arsenal graduate and current Coventry midfielder Ben Sheaf spent two-and-a-half years playing alongside Gyokeres in the West Midlands, and he spoke glowingly about his former team-mate's desire to improve himself.

"When he came [on loan from Brighton], he was in and out of the team and showed glimpses of quality," Sheaf told The Athletic. "He signed permanently after the first loan, and he came back having put more muscle on and was even more physical.

"He was relentless with how much he practised. 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."

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