By Pranav Shahaney

26th Sep, 2022 | 4:10pm

Leeds United youngster Willy Gnonto set to make history for Italy national team

Leeds United youngster Willy Gnonto is set to make history for the Italy national team when he steps on the field of play to face Hungary.

Should he start in the Nations League game in Budapest he will be only the third player in post-war Italian football history to make three starts for the national team before his 19th birthday.

According to Gazzetta on Monday, Roberto Mancini will start the 18-year-old in this game which will mean that he will grab the headlines in the Tuesday newspapers.

Let’s do this

It’s rare to see a player with multiple caps for a big nation like Italy yet to make his debut at his current club.

He has moved to Elland Road this summer, but he was an established first-team player in Switzerland and certainly will want game time at Leeds.

Gnonto looked lively when coming off the bench against England and we will certainly be keeping an eye on him when he faces the Hungarians.

He has proven that he’s mature enough for responsibilities in his teenage years and the fact that he can play all across the front line makes him a valuable addition to the team.

Hopefully, he makes the bench for the game against Aston Villa as he can offer the X-Factor against tired legs as he has that ability to stretch defences with his speed.

We’re excited to see what sort of player he develops into at Elland Road but he’s certainly got some really high expectations.

In other Leeds United news, an Elland Road-linked midfielder is now certain to leave his club in the coming weeks as a host of Premier League clubs are vying for his services.