Latest news with #dedication
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Viktor Gyokeres, as told by his team-mates and coaches
From cut knees on the gravel pitches at his first club, to special gym workouts, Viktor Gyokeres is testament to the transformative powers of resilience, dedication and self-improvement. All-encompassing graft has turned a strong but unspectacular young player, who at one stage seemed good enough only for the Swedish first division, into a goal-scoring phenomenon at the top level of the club game. Advertisement Hard work is standard for most successful sportspeople, but the 27-year-old harnessed it from an early age. In doing so, Gyokeres ensured that, despite being a late bloomer, constant toil would make him one of the world's most coveted footballers. As Arsenal finally complete their move for the Sweden international, The Athletic spoke to former team-mates and coaches to find out what it's like to play with and against him. Additional reporting: Art de Roché, Sebastian Stafford-Bloor and Jack Lang At first, David Eklund needed some convincing. The scout for Stockholm club IF Brommapojkarna had decided just to keep tabs on the 11-year-old striker at local amateur team Aspudden-Tellus he had heard about. 'I was not immediately sure,' he tells The Athletic. 'He was really strong. Not so big then, but strong and hard-working. 'He could shoot from distance and score with his head. In the penalty area, he was a killer. But he was not so good technically. I didn't think he'd be a superstar. Maybe he'd play the highest level in Sweden or something like that.' At that time, Eklund was only just learning about the young Gyokeres' relentless work ethic and ambition. It had long been apparent to team-mates and coaches at Aspudden-Tellus, a club run by volunteers in suburban south Stockholm, roughly a mile from Gyokeres' childhood home. 'It was very clear,' says Bjorn Thuresson, Aspudden-Tellus' president. 'All his trainers spoke of his super dedication, and that was apparent early on. 'He wasn't that big as a child, but he was always physical. It is funny to see now, because there are aspects of his play he's kept from his early years. There would always be a bunch of adults watching when his team would play. 'He was goal-oriented. He was not that interested in spending too much time in the middle of the pitch — he always headed for goal and he scored a lot.' Advertisement Gyokeres' father Stefan was a coach at the club and oversaw his son's team. 'You would often see Viktor and his friends practising before training,' recalls Thuresson. 'He was extremely focused on his football, and that's all you heard about him. 'Well, that and you'd just hear people talking about how many goals he scored.' Gyokeres started playing with Aspudden-Tellus at the age of six and when he was old enough to play in games, it was all a far cry from the manicured surfaces he would one day grace in stadiums across Europe. 'He started off with us on the gravel pitch,' says Thuresson. 'It has changed, with more artificial pitches, since but at the time it was the only option. 'They had to wear special trousers so as not to scratch their knees. It was very down-to-earth.' Aspudden-Tellus, whose senior team play in the Swedish fourth tier, did not have an all-weather surface, so during the harsh winters, Gyokeres and team-mates would hone their skills playing indoor futsal. Despite the club's humble setup, Gyokeres stayed with them until he was 15. 'We accept anyone who wants to play, so the skill levels can be very different on the same team,' explains Thuresson. 'But it means the kids play many different types of games: sometimes with the best and they can hone their skills one way, but others with less advanced players and they must take on another type of responsibility. 'That was useful for him. He enjoyed it because if you join an academy (at a professional club), you only get one level of team-mate. I think having that responsibility will have helped him.' Eventually, Gyokeres did move on, after Eklund arranged for him to join Brommapojkarna's academy. 'I followed him for a while, watching him once a month, and made the first attempt to get him when he was 13,' remembers Eklund. 'I kept in contact with his father for the next couple of years. 'We played technical football, so it (his lack of finesse at that stage) was a bit of an issue, but sometimes you can just go for technical players and they don't work. His goalscoring was so good, it boded well for the future, and working with our coaches would improve him. He scored with both feet, the head, (he laughs) the ass.' By that stage, Gyokeres, who is now 6ft 2in (188cm), had started to grow taller and get stronger. 'The first time I properly met him and shook his hand, his hand swallowed mine!' says Eklund. Eklund had competition from other Stockholm teams, but Brommapojkarna's reputation for developing young players put them ahead of the rest. The interest in the young forward did not stretch beyond his homeland's borders, though. 'Bromma had the best relationship with the family and is the best club at developing young players,' says Eklund. 'Nobody from outside of Sweden was looking at him. They didn't know about him in Denmark or Norway. He has always been a late bloomer.' Advertisement Despite coaching his son and being a constant advisor as his career began to take off, Eklund insists Gyokeres' father was not overly controlling. 'Stefan is a nice guy,' says Eklund. 'He was not the pushy sort who would be demanding his son play in a certain position, etc. He always used to say Viktor had to do it himself. The most important thing for him was a club with the best coaches who'd take care of his son.' Hard work and a physical growth spurt led to early first-team opportunities for Gyokeres with Brommapojkarna in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's top professional division, after he had scored 16 goals in 17 games for their under-19 team. 'I remember the first team had a lot of injured players in 2015 and the coach called me and asked if we had any academy players who were strong enough to play for the first team,' says Eklund. 'I said, 'Yes, Viktor Gyokeres is strong enough to play there.' That was when he was 16. 'They took him and, the year after that, he started to do really well. He was like a grown man.' He joined the first team in 2017, when they were in the second division. Thirteen goals and eight assists in a season put Gyokeres on the radar of clubs beyond Sweden, and that September, he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to join Brighton & Hove Albion of the Premier League in the following January window. His farewell performance was a hat-trick in a season-finale win which clinched promotion back to the top flight. A post shared by Viktor Gyökeres (@viktorgyokeres) The next stage was a step into the unknown with Brighton via under-23s football in Premier League 2. 'I met him in Nando's the day before he signed for us,' recalls then Brighton Under-23 team-mate Steven Alzate. 'I'd seen Vik in the training ground during the day and later that evening, I was getting food with (then Brighton goalkeeper) Robert Sanchez. We saw him there with his girlfriend before he'd been announced. Advertisement 'We got chatting and then it was easier for him to approach us the next day, because he recognised us and got more relaxed around us. 'We used to go for brunch. Other times, we'd meet up and watch Champions League games together.' Alzate, now with Hull City of England's second-tier Championship, admired his new friend's discipline. 'He is always in the gym,' he says. 'He loved doing his core work. He would be (in the gym) every day, doing his own little routine. 'You see him now and he's ripped. Shredded. He's obviously carried on with that discipline and hard work. He's done everything he can that's in his control and now the rest has fallen into place for him.' Not everything fell immediately into place for Gyokeres in England. He scored seven times for Brighton Under-23s in the second half of that 2017-18 season, but senior-level opportunities were limited. 'His attitude and appetite stood out,' remembers Dale Stephens, a first-team regular in Brighton's midfield at that time. 'We were struggling at the time (it was Brighton's first Premier League season, and they finished 15th in the 20-team division) and he was young, so he found his opportunities limited, but what was noticeable was the size of him for a kid. He was a big, powerful boy, a threat, and that was along with that appetite to get better. 'What you see now is the result of years of that same mindset.' Stephens admits that, despite Gyokeres' physical power and scoring record back home, he did not seem a natural at the higher level he encountered in England. 'It was more about him being incredibly athletic, powerful, and a threat in terms of his pace behind,' he says. 'But I wouldn't have said at the time he was a natural goalscorer. He was 21 then, so I would say it's not a natural gift; it's something he's worked very hard on. His finishing is a testament to hard work. Advertisement 'It can be quite daunting coming in as an under-23s player when you're so young, but he was training with us regularly. He wasn't afraid of putting in challenges in training. You could see how he trained and he never missed a gym session. Because he relied on his strength, you can see that it was important to him and why he's maintained it. He obviously knew he needed that in his armoury to play at the top level.' With first-team exposure at Brighton only fitful after his first full year with the club, in July 2019, Gyokeres moved on a season's loan to St Pauli of the German second division. People behind the scenes at the Hamburg club recall the same extra work after training, on both technique and his fitness, mentioned above. Gyokeres is remembered as a talented player, and St Pauli had a bid to make the move permanent rejected by Brighton after his loan spell brought seven goals and four assists in 26 league games. Brighton were not ready to give up on the young Swede, but he still could not break into their first team under then head coach Graham Potter. Potter wanted a No 9 who could drop deep and link build-up play, and Gyokeres did not fit that profile, so loans into the Championship at Swansea City and then Coventry City followed, before a permanent move to the latter in summer 2021. Gyokeres never got closer to playing for Brighton in the Premier League than a handful of appearances on the bench, and of the eight times he did get a game (five starts), during which he scored once, four were in the Carabao Cup. 'When he wasn't getting the opportunities (to play), he actually took the hit and went to Coventry,' says Stephens. 'It was a step down in level, but he catapulted forward in development terms. He had his chance, did well and earned the move to Sporting. It's a good example for most young players.' Gyokeres' first season as a permanent Coventry player was memorable, with 18 goals in all competitions. Midfielder Ben Sheaf was on loan at the Midlands club from Arsenal at the same time and also joined permanently in July 2021. 'When he came (on loan), he was in and out of the team and showed glimpses of quality,' says Sheaf, who is the same age as the centre-forward. 'He signed permanently after the first loan, and he came back having put more muscle on and was even more physical. Advertisement 'He was relentless with how much he practised. He'd do a lot of finishing drills after training. I remember once in training, we did 11-v-11, and the ball got thrown into him when I was playing against him. 'He pinned and rolled me, and I just couldn't do anything about it. That was the first time I remember thinking: 'Blimey, this is what opposition teams are going to feel'. That was the first time I felt his physicality. 'He was always ultra-competitive in training. He'd throw his toys out of the pram if we didn't win a small-sided game.' Coventry spent time working on Gyokeres' ability with his back to goal in tighter areas, as well as moving across defenders and finishing early. He responded with 38 goals in 91 league appearances for the club. 'He was our main man,' says Sheaf. 'He could run in behind, hold the ball up and was so physical. The way we played was probably based around his attributes. 'We loved having the ball, but at times we could sit in deep and know we've got him on the counter to drag us up the pitch.' Gyokeres' physical dominance meant he was a constant option for hard-pressed team-mates. 'The goal that stands out most is against Wigan (in 2023),' says Sheaf. 'The ball gets booted clear. He brings it down on the halfway line and just drifts away from everyone. I was actually the person running behind him and he was dribbling away from me when I was trying to catch up. 'He ended up scoring anyway.' Even as a deeper-lying midfielder, Sheaf recalls knowing that the sight of Gyokeres running the channels was a strong passing option. 'I knew I didn't always have to get it out wide or play short,' he says. 'There was an option in knowing that if he's running the channel, he's winning the ball because he's that powerful. He makes your pass look good.' Advertisement Off the pitch, Gyokeres was starting to come out of his shell. 'He's a serious guy until you get to know him and he opens up,' Sheaf says. 'He's a good lad but he'd be arguing in training, always wanting to win and doing finishing drills after — absolutely t**ting balls in. 'Ben Wilson, our 'keeper, used to call him 'You big Swedish meatball-head', in his Geordie accent. But he was one of the lads that was closest to him at the time and they used to take the p**s out of each other.' After smashing in 22 goals in the 2022-23 season for Coventry, which ended in penalty shootout defeat to Luton Town in the Championship's play-off final with Premier League promotion on the line, Gyokeres joined Portuguese top-flight side Sporting CP on a five-year deal for a club-record €24million (£21.6m/$28m). In Lisbon, he went into overdrive. Last season, he scored 54 times in 52 games as Sporting won the league title and cup double. 'A phenomenon,' Sporting coach Rui Borges called him after hr got two goals against Casa Pia in March. 'He's got it all: technical quality, strength, lucidity. He's one of the best strikers ever to play in our league.' Before facing him in another game that month, Estrela da Amadora defender Ferro suggested the only way to stop the Swedish forward was with a 'magic potion'. Now comes the biggest test yet, with Gyokeres charged with translating all that to the English top flight he never quite got to play in with Brighton and fell just shy of reaching as a Coventry player. Is he ready? Eklund is sure. 'He needs to play every week,' he says. 'He's perfect for the Premier League.' Stephens, who made 109 Premier League appearances for Brighton and Burnley, agrees. 'He has all the attributes. I suppose it'll be: can he do it in the big games? But I don't think Arsenal will look at this as a risk. They will have looked at him against the top teams in the Champions League.' Advertisement Finally, for Sheaf, the Arsenal move, along with Gyokeres' Champions League exploits — including a hat-trick against Manchester City last season — is evidence that 'The big meatball-head' is much more than just power and pace. 'He's not just a machine that can run through people and bully defenders,' he says. 'He can play more intricately. He's going to have to adapt his game, but he's only going to get better.'
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
York street cleaner who goes 'above and beyond' honoured
A street cleaner who goes "above and beyond" to keep York city centre tidy has received a national Patrick, 60, has been York BID's cleaning team supervisor for seven early every morning from his home in Pontefract, he arrives in the city centre before the crowds, and cleans anything from pavements to seating areas and recognition of his dedication to the job, Chris was named Best Ambassador at the 2025 Association of Town and City Management Awards. "I was a chef before this, obviously indoors," he said."This is a lot better for me, this is what I like to do, be outside."Chris is known on his team for having a cheerful demeanour and positive outlook, even when faced with the messy side of the job."What do we clean?" he laughed."Vomit and human muck and everything like that. The proper nasty stuff." Carl Alsop, the operations manager at York BID, praised Chris for his attitude."There's not a hotel in York that wouldn't welcome Chris with a bacon sandwich - that's how far above and beyond he goes," he said."He just will not say no. He will find a solution and he will just roll up his sleeves, put his gloves on and he will tackle anything that needs tackling."That might be something very very disgusting or it might be trying his hand at gardening or painting or whatever it might be."Chris said the commute to his job was not an issue because he "loved doing it"."The people here are good, it's a great place to work," he said."I've enjoyed it so far so I'm going to keep coming until hopefully that enjoyment goes. But it won't go yet."As well as receiving the national award at a ceremony last month, Chris is a finalist in the Great Neighbour category of BBC Radio York's Make a Difference Awards."When I get an award, it's for all these other people that do things here," he said."On rejuvenation, we've got volunteers and we sometimes have 40 people on a day painting York."It's amazing and I get an award for that, so really, it's for them." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Fast Company
22-07-2025
- General
- Fast Company
Stop being a martyr at work. Aim for sustainable success instead
BY Casually mentioning canceling a doctor's appointment or skipping something personal to take on more work has become the new humblebrag. It's rarely treated as a big deal, and often, it's delivered with self-deprecating pride: 'Oh, I'll just cancel my doctor's appointment to crank this out,' or 'I was up until midnight finishing that deck.' These aren't just updates, but quiet auditions for 'Most Dedicated Employee.' Many of us hear those lines, or say them ourselves, and think, 'Wow, that's commitment.' But what we're really doing is reinforcing workplace culture that rewards exhaustion instead of impact. Too often, self-sacrifice is confused with value, and that mindset is burning people out. The result is burnout factories dressed up as high-performance cultures. And this isn't just anecdotal. According to Gallup's 2023 State of the Global Workplace report, nearly 60% of employees report feeling emotionally detached at work, and nearly 1 in 5 say they're miserable. That's not high performance, it's slow, silent collapse. If you want to show up with focus, creativity, and resilience (at work and in life) it starts by putting down the invisible sword too many of us keep falling on. Here's what that looks like in practice: 1. Stop glorifying sacrifice We've been conditioned to admire the person who 'pushes through,' the one who skips lunch, works late, or shows up sick. We've equated overextension with excellence and decided that making ourselves perpetually available signals dedication and makes us irreplaceable. But this constant grind isn't sustainable, and not to be a bubble buster, but it also doesn't guarantee job security. It does, however, guarantee exhaustion. In a culture of depletion dressed up as drive, the truth no one wants to say out loud is that just because someone's willing to sacrifice everything for work doesn't mean they should be expected to, or applauded for it. What You Can Do: Celebrate boundaries out loud. Tell your team when you're logging off, and why. Compliment coworkers who prioritize recovery. Make self-preservation visible, respected, and routine. Someone who 'takes one for the team' isn't always the hero, and we need to stop making them out to be. Most importantly, we need to stop reinforcing bad behavior. 2. Redefine loyalty Too many of us equate loyalty with self-abandonment. We mistake constantly being 'on' for being dependable. But true loyalty isn't about erasing yourself but about showing up consistently and sustainably. Loyalty to your job shouldn't come at the expense of loyalty to your body, your family, your health, or your own values. The people who build long, meaningful careers aren't the ones sprinting from sacrifice to sacrifice. They're the ones who understand how to pace themselves and advocate for what they need. What You Can Do: Before saying yes to adding more to your work plate, ask yourself: Does this align with my actual priorities and capacity? Because, it is possible to be deeply committed to your work without constantly proving your worth through overextension. 3. Question urgency culture So many 'fire drills' at work are just . . . smoke. Tasks labeled urgent are often driven by someone else's disorganization, perfectionism, or anxiety, not an actual need. When everything is urgent, nothing truly is. Urgency culture thrives in environments where people are afraid to slow down or challenge assumptions. But what if part of being a great teammate wasn't speed, it was discernment? What You Can Do: Practice pausing to ask: What's the real deadline here? What's the consequence if it moves? Normalize not taking 'ASAP' at face value. Sometimes urgency is warranted. Often, it's just a default setting we've forgotten how to question. 4. Trade perfectionism for progress As a recovering perfectionist, I can attest to the fact that perfectionism is sneaky. It masquerades as diligence and high standards but more often than not, it's actually fear in a super sharp blazer. Fear of judgment, failure, or not being good enough. In high-pressure work cultures, perfectionism isn't just tolerated, it's celebrated. But if you're spending hours tweaking slide formatting or rewriting a perfectly clear email for the fourth time, maybe it's time you ask yourself who you're really trying to protect. Perfection rarely drives impact, but it always drains energy. What You Can Do: Pick one thing this week to do at 85%. Then walk away. The deck doesn't need one more alignment check. The email is fine as is. Let 'good enough' be good, and reclaim that energy for something else. 5. Be the example, not the exception It's easy to think change starts at the top. But culture isn't just set by leadership, it's shaped by what we tolerate, model, and reinforce at every level. If you're tired of performative burnout, you can't just opt out silently. You have to opt-in to something different. Culture shifts through visible choices. Through the senior leader who leaves loudly at 5 p.m. to the teammate who says, 'I'm not available tonight, but I can jump in first thing tomorrow,' all the way to the employee who takes a mental health day without apology. What You Can Do: Audit your behavior. Are you constantly over-delivering? Do you reward fire drills and penalize slow, thoughtful work? Start showing people what sustainable excellence looks like. Bottom line: You don't need a policy change to be a culture shifter. The workplace is changing in slow but meaningful ways. And, these changes don't just happen because HR rolls out a new initiative, but when enough people, at every level, stop performing exhaustion as proof of commitment. So next time that reflex kicks in, the one that tells you to push through, to cancel something personal, to over-deliver just to be seen, pause. Ask yourself: Is this really necessary? You shouldn't have to earn your worth through burnout, and you're allowed to take care of yourself and still be exceptional. In fact, that might be the most powerful thing you can do. The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is this Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alli Kushner is a writer, speaker, and fierce LinkedIn user. Her work explores the intersection of identity, ambition, and modern parenthood, with bylines in The New York Times, Business Insider, HuffPost, and more More
CNA
21-07-2025
- Health
- CNA
Baker refuses to give up his craft despite severe arthritis
A local baker is going to great lengths to perfect his craft. Besides kneading dough and shaping loaves for 16 hours a day, he is also enduring the relentless pain of severe arthritis. CNA meets the baker who simply refuses to quit.
UAE Moments
07-07-2025
- Business
- UAE Moments
♉ Taurus: Daily Horoscope for July 8th, 2025
Today, Taurus, the universe invites you to embrace stability and comfort. Your natural wisdom and authenticity guide you towards a peaceful and nurturing environment. Read More: ♉ Taurus: Daily Horoscope for July 5th, 2025 Love Horoscope Today, Taurus, love is your sanctuary. Your natural loyalty and devotion shine brightly, creating a warm and secure environment for your loved ones. Whether you're in a relationship or single, your heart is open and ready to give and receive love. Take time to express your feelings, perhaps through a handwritten note or a shared moment over a cup of tea. Remember, love is not just about grand gestures but also the small, everyday acts of kindness that nurture your relationships. Career Horoscope In the workplace, your dedication and hard work are your greatest assets. Today, focus on tasks that require your attention to detail and perseverance. Your ability to remain calm and composed under pressure will be noticed by colleagues and superiors alike. If faced with a challenging situation, approach it with patience and a steady hand. Remember, success is not always about speed but about the quality and consistency of your efforts. Health Horoscope Your well-being is closely tied to your ability to find peace in the present moment. Today, prioritize activities that ground you, such as a leisurely walk in nature or a quiet meditation session. Embrace the simple pleasures that bring you joy, like savoring a delicious meal or enjoying a good book. Remember, your body is your temple, and nurturing it with care and attention will enhance your overall sense of well-being. Finance Horoscope Financial stability is on your side today, Taurus. Your cautious nature and practical approach to money matters serve you well. It's a good day to review your budget or plan for future investments. Consider setting aside a small amount for a rainy day or treating yourself to something special that you've been eyeing. Remember, financial security is not just about saving but also about enjoying the fruits of your labor in a balanced way.
