The Scout Who Discovered Viktor Gyokeres Reveals the Swedish Striker's Rise to Stardom

David Eklund, the scout who discovered Viktor Gyokeres, shares his insights on the Swedish striker's journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the world's top goal-scorers.

As the calendar year 2024 comes to a close, Viktor Gyokeres stands tall as the top scorer, surpassing global superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, and Robert Lewandowski. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the Swedish striker's rapid rise to stardom, which was first spotted by scouts over a decade ago.

Gyokeres' signature celebration has become an iconic image in European football – the “Bane mask” where he covers his face with intertwined hands. This distinctive gesture has become synonymous with the Swedish goal-machine, who has captured the imagination of fans worldwide with his incredible scoring prowess.

Viktor Gyokeres' staggering tally of 62 goals in 63 appearances for Sporting and Sweden translates to an astonishing average of nearly one goal per game. This remarkable feat is a hallmark of the greatest goal-scorers in history, with only a select few – including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, Gerd Müller, and Fernando Peyroteo – having achieved such an impressive strike rate. Gyokeres' phenomenal performance has earned him the title of top scorer in 2024, with Eduardo Galeno aptly describing his achievement as “the miracle that happens so rarely.”

Viktor Gyokeres' phenomenal rise to the top of the football world is a story few could have predicted a decade ago. As the Swedish striker basks in the glory of being the top scorer of 2024, it's fascinating to revisit his humble beginnings.

Mon Diaries embarked on a journey to Bromma, a suburb of Stockholm, where Gyokeres' professional career first took shape. It was at the unassuming Grimsta IP, home of Brommapojkarna, that a young Gyokeres started making waves on the synthetic turf. This is where his remarkable journey began to unfold.

Gyokeres' discovery is credited to David Eklund, the head of scouting for Brommapojkarna, a team that finished 10th in the previous Allsvenskan season. Eklund spotted Gyokeres' potential while he was playing for Aspudden-Tellus and brought him to the renowned Swedish football academy in 2014, setting the stage for his future success.

The scout who discovered Viktor Gyokeres has shared his first impressions of the Swedish striker, revealing that he was just 12 years old when he first laid eyes on him. In an interview, the scout recalled: “The first time I saw him I was 12 years old. I was in charge of scouting and my job was to watch a lot of games and talk to a lot of players.”

The scout's role at Bromma involved monitoring young talent in the Stockholm area, which led him to Gyokeres. As he explained: "At Bromma we want to have a good control over the Stockholm area, that's how I saw him play and then I started following him very closely." Even as a teenager, Gyokeres was already demonstrating his goal-scoring prowess, topping the scoring charts for his team in 2017 with 13 goals in the Superettan, a campaign that ultimately earned them promotion to the top flight.

“He wasn't very good on the ball. If you think about it, we had players who were good on the ball, and he was OK, nothing marvellous, but when you put him in the box and get the ball to him he's going to score.

“He was very good at that. I think everyone thought he was a reasonable player, but he wasn't the star of the academy. He was good, he scored goals and that's why I saw something in him,” he revealed, drawing parallels with today: “He was a very strong player, good at finishing, good at scoring goals. Very similar to what he is today.”

Despite recognizing Viktor Gyokeres' immense potential, scout David Eklund never envisioned the Swedish international reaching the pinnacle of success. In a candid admission, Eklund confessed: “I thought he was going to be a professional, but at the level he's reached? No.” He pinpointed Gyokeres' move to Brighton as a crucial turning point in his development, saying: “When he was young, he didn't talk much. He was nice, friendly with his teammates. It was when he left for England that he realised he had to be tougher.”

Gyokeres' future at Sporting appears increasingly uncertain, particularly with the summer of 2025 looming. The elite clubs of European football are well aware of the Swedish striker's phenomenal goal-scoring record. Eklund, who discovered Gyokeres before he donned his signature mask, acknowledged that he doesn't regularly watch the striker play, stating: “When I leave work I switch off from football.” Nevertheless, he remains convinced of Gyokeres' ability to thrive in any league, asserting: “Every team needs a player like Viktor. If he goes to Spain he'll score goals, if he goes to England he'll score goals. He can play in any league.”