Leeds United: Crysencio Summerville & Georginio Rutter react to significant Wilfried Gnonto milestone | OneFootball

Wilfried Gnonto has raced to a century of Leeds United appearances, a milestone he admits he 'never would have dreamed of'

At just 21 years of age, Wilfried Gnonto has raced to a century of Leeds United appearances, a milestone he admits he 'never would have dreamed of' upon joining.

Gnonto came on as a late substitute at Elland Road as the Championship giants defeated Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 on Sunday afternoon, temporarily restoring their place at the summit of the second-tier.

In a late cameo appearance, the Italian international was present for two of the Whites' three goals on the day, and heavily involved in the build up for the all-important second that Largie Ramazani scored.

While the on-pitch delight would certainly have been a bonus, if the winger's social media activity is anything to go by, it is clear that Gnonto's numerical achievement was at the forefront of his mind, as he became only the second player born after the year 2000 to reach a ton of appearances for the club, after teammate Illan Meslier.

Taking to Instagram on Monday afternoon, the former Inter Milan youth product poured his gratitude to those who have made his extended stay both possible and largely enjoyable.

The heartfelt and articulate tribute received positive replies from several Peacocks favourites, past and present, including Largie Ramazani, Ethan Ampadu, Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville to name a few, as a once rifted relationship with the club appears to have fully repaired.

Gnonto arrived at then-Premier League Leeds in September 2022 as a highly touted youth prospect from Swiss side Zurich FC, an experience he describes as being 'like a dream for my family and I'.

However, it is well documented that in August the following year, following the club's relegation, Gnonto attempted to force a move away from the club, having handed in a transfer request.

While this move away never transpired, the then-19-year-old's attempted desertion unsurprisingly soured player-supporter relations.

In what is a wholesome reminder that bad feelings can be resolved, an older, wiser Gnonto has since rediscovered his status as a cult hero at Elland Road, having now played more minutes in the Championship than any other competition.

While spending two of his three seasons thus far in the Championship was presumably not part of the original plan, it looks exceedingly likely that the West Yorkshire side will return to England's first-tier next term.

Wilfried Gnonto's first 100 Leeds United appearances by numbers

Taking nothing away from the milestone, Gnonto's return for Leeds United has been surprisingly meager in terms of goal involvement.

However, these figures may be misleading for the forward, as being still very much a young player, his teenage prominence may preceed him.

In September, three weeks before his 21st birthday, Gnonto became the youngest player since Alan Smith (19y 73 days) to score 15 goals for Leeds United, exemplifying the rarity of his early emerging talent.

Despite reported interest from various Saudi Arabian clubs, Willy Gnonto is seemingly loving life at high-flying Leeds United. With youth on his side and unrealised Premier League dreams, it would be surprising to see these rumours transpire.

Despite not necessarily being the first name on the team sheet, if the Italian continues to show value in Daniel Farke's side in the Championship and potentially beyond, this could easily be the first of many appearance milestones made by the forward, but time will tell.