Viktor Gyökeres reveals why he ignores social media critics

Viktor Gyökeres has opened up about dealing with online scrutiny and maintaining his focus on what truly matters for his performances.

Viktor Gyökeres has revealed his approach to handling social media criticism, explaining why he chooses to ignore negative comments from online critics. The Arsenal striker, who has made an impressive start to his Premier League career with three goals in four appearances, believes that focusing on external opinions can be detrimental to a player’s development and performance levels.

After arriving from Sporting CP as Europe’s top goalscorer last season, his clinical finishing and positive attitude have quickly made him a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium.

“I don’t think you have to take in what everyone around you says. You don’t have to listen to everything you hear,” Gyökeres explained to Sky Sports when discussing his mentality towards social media scrutiny. The Swedish international’s philosophy centres around maintaining control over the factors that directly impact his game, rather than being influenced by external noise that serves no constructive purpose.

After scoring against Leeds United on his home league debut, the Swede ran to the camera before fixing his hair, a dig at online trolls who slated his performance during the Gunners’ Premier League opener at Manchester United.

When asked whether the scrutiny at Arsenal exceeds what he experienced elsewhere in his career, Gyökeres acknowledged the intensity of English football culture. “Yeah maybe? When I played in Portugal there was also a lot of that. They live for football there as well. So in one sense, it’s a bit similar but of course it’s much, much bigger here. They analyse everything you do. But that’s the way it is, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Gyökeres emphasised that consuming social media commentary isn’t his priority, preferring to channel his energy into areas where he can make a tangible difference. “Maybe it isn’t my number one priority to read everything that’s being said or what people write. It’s just think about the things you can control and do those things right.”

This mindset appears to be serving the striker well, with Gyökeres scored twice in Arsenal’s 5-0 victory over Leeds United, before converting once more against Nottingham Forest last weekend.