Viktor Gyokeres had to be told to leave training pitch as Arsenal star's character emerges

New Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres was repeatedly told to leave the training ground at his former club after relentlessly "trying to get better".

The Gunners finally ended their long pursuit of an elite striker last week by completing a £55million deal - potentially rising to £63.5m - for the Sweden international.

Gyokeres, 27, inked a five-year deal following a long transfer saga, during which he reportedly refused to return to training with Portuguese champions Sporting CP.

His proactiveness in pushing through the move has already won over many Arsenal supporters. And they might be left even more impressed by his dedication on the pitch in the months ahead, having been offered an insight into the type of player he is by one of Gyokeres' former coaches.

Long before his ascent to becoming one of Europe's most prolific strikers, with 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting across two campaigns, the then-Brighton forward was sent on loan to St. Pauli in the German second division for the 2019/20 season.

Despite not being as clinical at that stage, finding the net just seven times in 28 appearances before spending the following season on loan at Swansea City, he still displayed an extraordinary 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."

Gyokeres will don the No. 14 shirt for Arsenal this season, a number immortalised by club icon Thierry Henry. However, he's unlikely to be daunted by the challenge, having worked towards this moment throughout his career.

Former Arsenal academy product and current Coventry midfielder Ben Sheaf spent two-and-a-half years alongside Gyokeres in the West Midlands, and he praised his ex-team-mate's drive for self-improvement.

"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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