The meaning behind Viktor Gyokeres' celebration was a mystery for a number of years, but the Swede has finally provided a comic book-inspired explanation.
Since joining Sporting Lisbon from Championship side Coventry City in 2023 for around £21 million, Gyokores has become one of Europe's deadliest strikers under the guidance of Ruben Amorim.
So far this season, he has netted 23 goals in 16 games for the Portuguese club – a run of form that has brought serious interest from several clubs, including Manchester United.
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In fact, after Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag as United head coach, Gyokores has been relentlessly linked with a transfer to Old Trafford.
The Sweden international recently broke his silence on the rumours.
"He [Amorim] probably has some strikers there already, so we’ll see," the 26-year-old said. "No, he hasn’t [contacted me]. It’s fun but nothing I attach any importance to because it’s talk and nothing concrete."
As a result of Gyokeres' rise, curiosity over his 'mask' celebration has naturally increased.
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More often than not, the striker locks his fingers together on both hands after he scores, before holding it up to his face to create a mask covering his mouth and nose.
Former Coventry teammate Josh Eccles joked that the celebration could reference Hannibal Lecter, a film character known for his dark past. “Hannibal eats people, and Viktor destroys defenses,” Eccles said.
However, in an Instagram post, Gyokeres put the rumours to bed when he shared a video compilation of his goals with the caption: “Nobody cared until I put on the mask."
That line is memorably delivered by Bane, who is often credited as the only villain to have bested Batman both physically and mentally.
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Bane, of course, is a masked super villain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane and The Dark Knight Rises.
As mentioned earlier, Gyokeres continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United.
Speaking after Sporting’s win over City in the Champions League, Ruben Amorim was asked directly whether he was interested in bringing Gyokeres to Old Trafford.
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"I’ve just made peace with the Sporting fans, I’m not even going to make a joke about it," he said. "Gyokeres is a Sporting player, which is a great club, he did a lot for it, he was in the second division, he just has to stay and finish the season at Marques."
When asked the same question in another interview, Amorim replied: "No, no, no. I cannot be funny with that in this moment."
He added: "It was tough for me to leave, if I start joking about that with Gyokeres, I’ll have problems. This is my city, this is my country, I will respect. Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then his life is going, maybe, somewhere else."
Topics: Manchester United, Sporting CP, Ruben Amorim
Jack Kenmare