The Swedish national football team describes Saturday's meeting with Slovakia as a final. If Sweden wins, the group victory is secured – and national team captain Jon Dahl Tomasson has one of the world's hottest strikers at his disposal in that hunt.
Gyökeres has, for example, scored five Champions League goals – three of which came against Manchester City last week.
It's clear that it was extremely to score my first hat-trick in Champions League, so it's clear that it means a lot. It will be a nice memory, says the 26-year-old.
"He's brilliant"
As usual, Gyökeres is praised by both the Swedish national team captain and his national team teammates. Tomasson, himself a dangerous striker when he played, has no tips for the star who shines in his club team.
He doesn't need any advice, because he's brilliant. He's a machine, says "JDT".
Or as defender Gabriel Gudmundsson simply states:
Nice to see Viktor score goals week after week.
His hat-trick made him the player of the week in Champions League and is now ranked as perhaps Europe's best striker. But he doesn't want to place himself at the top of the ranking.
It depends on who you like and what you emphasize, it's hard for me to say. What do you think? he asks the journalist who asked the question.
I can take first place if you give it to me.
"Did it pretty well"
Gyökeres' success has naturally also spread beyond sports boundaries. At a World Championship tournament in Frankfurt last week, table tennis star Truls Möregårdh borrowed Gyökeres' special goal celebration, with fingers intertwined in front of his face.
I think the gesture is really cool. But I was a bit afraid of whether he would appreciate it or not. You shouldn't just take a victory gesture like that, said Möregårdh.
Gyökeres seems to have taken the loan with calm.
He did it pretty well, he says.
