Yorkress: I have scored more goals since I celebrated as a mask and wanted to win a strong team like Manchester City

Arsenal striker Yorkez gave an exclusive interview to Sky Sports before playing against Manchester City. He talked about the origin of his iconic "mask" celebration move, how he faced criticism from the outside world and how he started in the Premier League.

Your "mask" celebration action has become a symbol, where is it inspired?

Yes, it has something to do with my experience, and since I started doing this, I have started scoring more goals, which also allows me to wear the "mask" more often. (Note: The celebration action was inspired by the famous quote from Bane, the villain in the Batman movie: "Didn't anyone care who I am until I put on a mask?")

Have you ever encountered doubts in your early career?

That was very early, and I was still in Sweden at that time. I didn't play well in some regional games, and an U14 coach thought I was indifferent to my poor performance. He said I lack the spiritual strength to succeed in football. That sentence has been with me and I still remember it to this day.

After coming to the Premier League, how do you evaluate your start and how do you face criticism from the outside world?

My start is both good and bad. Some games were harder and I didn’t play the way I wanted. But there are some games I feel very good. Overall, I scored a few goals and the team won most of the games. So it's a good start, but it can be better.

You must do your own thing and must adapt to your environment. You have to believe in yourself and keep moving forward no matter what happens, whether on or off the court. I don't think you have to pay attention to everything you say and listen to everything you hear. Is the scrutiny faced by playing football in the Premier League more stringent than when you were in Portugal?

Yes, maybe? I also had a lot of scrutiny when I played football in Portugal, and they were also born for football. So it's a bit similar in a sense, but of course, the scrutiny here is much bigger. They will analyze everything you do. But that's the case, and there's nothing wrong with that. Maybe my top priority is not to read all the words about me or what people write. Just think about the things you can control and do them well.

How did you adapt to your new life in England?

When you move to a new country, a lot of things change. Everything goes by very quickly, the season begins in a few weeks, and you still have to handle everything around you. This is the biggest change in this transfer, not something specific, but everything happens at the same time. This is normal, you just need to adapt.

What are you looking forward to when it will face the strong Manchester City this weekend?

There are many strong teams in the Premier League, and you have to perform in these games. These games are what we expect and we want to win.