Wilfried Gnonto reflected on his time with Inter, explaining why he left and admitting that he doesn’t know if he’ll ever return.
The 19-year-old Italian winger is a product of the Nerazzurri’s youth system but left in the summer of 2020 to join FC Zurich on a free transfer, having failed to make a first team appearance for the Lombardy outfit.
After an impressive two-year spell in Switzerland, where he scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in 74 games, Gnonto left to join Leeds United in a deal worth around €4.5m. He has already shown his potential in the Premier League and looks set to be a part of the Azzurri set-up for years to come.
Speaking to Cronache di Spogliatoio via FcInterNews, Gnonto first reflected on his love of Inter and why he left the club to head to Switzerland in 2020.
“Like every kid, I have a favourite team. When I was a kid, it was stronger than now, now I follow Inter and the Italian teams with pleasure. But yes, I think in the end it was and is a dream I keep inside, and I don’t know if I will be able to realise it.
“To have reached this level is already incredible. By committing myself I can do something more and maybe one day play at Inter or at that level. San Siro was beautiful. A few years before I was there in the stands and then I played there.
“I grew up in Italy, I had been at Inter since I was eight, it had never crossed my mind. At a certain point I had to think about what was right for me. Going to Switzerland was not the obvious choice, but the right one at the time.
“I was lucky that my parents accompanied me, I did not go to another country alone. The choice was difficult because it wasn’t the thing I wanted to do, but I am happy about it.”
The Italian teenager then looked back at his experiences in first team training with the Nerazzurri and what could help young Italians develop into Serie A starters.
“I remember a shoulder barge from D’Ambrosio in training, it made me realise that I wasn’t a footballer yet. We were playing a 5 vs 5 match and the ball went sideways, close to the line. I thought I would wait a moment and put my body in front of the ball.
“He waited for me and as soon as I went towards the ball, he shoved me, and I flew to the ground. I just stood there and realised that the level was still too high for me.
“Between the Primavera and the first team there was a big gap in level, Switzerland was a good intermediate step. Second teams in Italy would be the right thing.”