By Peter Lynch

19th Mar, 2023 | 8:10pm

Willy Gnonto is not the most talented player at Leeds United despite starring role this season

Willy Gnonto is not the “most talented player” at Leeds United, but the winger is quickly becoming one of the most feared attackers in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old picked up an assist in the 4-2 Premier League win at Wolves on Saturday (18 March), further growing his increasing list of admirers.

And after another impressive display, Gnonto has been labelled the biggest talent currently among the ranks of the club by some margin by Tactical Manager.

Gnonto has enjoyed a rapid rise in his brief career so far, with the teenager now among the deadliest wingers in the English top flight thanks to his combination of pace and skill.

Earlier this season, he had been competing against the likes of Northern Irish club Linfield and Scottish side Hearts in Europa League qualifying for Swiss outfit FC Zurich.

But Leeds took a chance on the youngster on deadline day on 1 September and simply haven’t looked back, with Gnonto now on two goals and two assists in the Premier League this season.

While he has shown such promise at just 19, it’s worth remembering that Gnonto shares a dressing room with star striker Rodrigo.

The forward has been missing a lot of action recently due to an ankle injury suffered in an FA Cup tie at Accrington Stanley in January, but the Spaniard has now recovered and is back firing in the goals.

Rodrigo needed just 30 minutes to find the back of the net against Wolves after coming off the bench, with the striker now on 11 goals for the campaign. He has also netted twice in three FA Cup games.

The fact he is 13 years older than Gnonto plays a major part in his superiority, with the young Italian only in the very early stages of what looks set to be a hugely promising career.

Leeds need creativity in their bid to avoid the drop this season, but experience is also crucial, as is having an attacker with the almost effortless ability to find the back of the net.

Such traits describe Rodrigo well, with the striker’s return coming at just the right time for Leeds in their fight for survival.

The Spaniard had scored six goals in seven league matches shortly before his injury, with manager Javi Gracia desperate for the striker to repeat such heroics in the months to come.

In other Leeds United news, BBC pundit Ashley Williams believes Wolves should have had a third player sent off in the recent clash at Molineux.