Gyökeres missed the latest gathering in June and the national team matches against Denmark and Serbia due to a knee injury.
I had some problems with my left knee. It was something I got at the beginning of last season. I had some problems on and off, so I took care of it and it feels good right now.
The success last season did not go unnoticed. There were bids from clubs in larger leagues – but Sporting's heavily inflated buyout clause deterred them. It's not small change we're talking about. According to reports, the striker costs over a billion kronor for anyone who wants to buy him out of his contract with Sporting.
Wants to move on – in time
It's a lot of money, but we'll see what happens in the next transfer windows. Sporting thinks I'm worth that amount and then you have to respect it.
That's how it was, but I'm really happy in Sporting. For me, there was no problem staying. The club wanted most of the starting players to stay and held on to us tightly, he says.
Gyökeres doesn't hide that the Portuguese league won't be the final stop in his career. The interest last summer tempted him – and he sounds a bit disappointed that there was no move.
I can't complain about anything and it's absolutely no problem for me to stay. We're going to play Champions League and I'm looking forward to the season. It's clear that you aim for other leagues and to reach a higher level, but I have no stress.
"Feels interesting"
It's been ten months since the 0–3 defeat against Azerbaijan in the European Championship qualifiers. What's the difference now in the national team compared to last year?
We're starting a new tournament. Then, there was a lot that had to go our way for us to make it to the European Championship. The conditions are a bit different now.
He also likes national team coach Jon Dahl Tomasson's view on how the team should play.
It feels interesting and I think it can be really good considering the players we have in the national team. It's more forward-oriented and maybe a bit more focus on the offensive game, says Viktor Gyökeres.
