When Neil Warnock first saw Kenneth Zohore at Cardiff City, the manager was less than impressed. Low on goals, lower still on determination and ambition, thought Warnock. Worse than that in Warnock’s eyes, the player wore gloves – the ultimate crime for a fully paid up member of the old-school. But Zohore has thrown the gloves away, knuckled down, and the goals are flowing. JoshThomas examines the transformation.
The story of Kenneth Zohore’s time at Cardiff City is nothing short of remarkable.
From originally signing on loan, to doing enough to earn himself a permanent deal, to only finding himself making a handful of appearances, it appeared Zohore was on a downward slide.
After he was not involved in the first team squad for three months, it appeared inevitable the young Danish striker would leave the club.
But manager Neil Warnock has described how, “the chat I had with him against Wolves at half-time (in December) was obviously vital, because he’s been a revelation since then.”
And what a revelation he has been, with stand-out performances each week he has now gone on to become a key figure for the team.
The Danish Under 21 national has shown yet again what he brings to the team in recent weeks.
After scoring two more goals for the Bluebirds in a 3-1 victory over Ipswich Town on Saturday, he nnow has a tally of nine goals in his last 10 appearances.
Warnock, who has admitted he was on the verge of giving on Zohore, added: “He’s got every attribute and you can’t coach what he has got.”
As he was being substituted against Ipswich, the Bluebirds fans started to take to their feet and were chanting his name. Zohore was given a rapturous standing ovation as he left the pitch which he duly acknowledged by applauding in reply as he walked from the field.
But it wasn’t always like this. Zohore signed on loan originally for the last six months of the season in 2015/16 after the Bluebirds were only allowed to make loan deals.
He went on to score just two goals in 12 appearances before the move was made permanent by then manager Paul Trollope.
That decision was viewed with mixed reactions from supporters and with raised eyebrows from many. By the time Warnock arrived at the helm, Zohore had only made five appearances.
The then 22-year-old was not in the manager’s long term plans and he was thinking of letting the young player go.
Warnock recently confirmed that when he said of Zohore, “He’s had to work really hard, because I was going to let him go to Belgium the first few weeks I was there.”
There was no doubting the talent he had after making his debut for Copenhagen as a 16-year-old and where he became the youngest player in the history of the Danish SuperLiga.
After scoring his first senior goal, he became the second youngest player to score in Danish SuperLiga history – at 16 years and 35 days – before then making his Champions League debut at the Nou Camp against Barcelona.
Zohore had trials with Chelsea – his father is the second cousin of former striker Didier Drogba – and also at Inter Milan. The future seemed bright and in 2012 he signed for Serie A side Fiorentina.
But the move came too soon for him and Zohore found himself back in the Danish SuperLiga before moving to Sweden and then Belgium before arriving in Wales.
The rejections appeared to have a negative effect on the players with Warnock adding, “He was a disgrace. He was strutting about the place and he didn’t push himself.
“He walked about, he wouldn’t tackle, wouldn’t chase back and he wore gloves everywhere.”
But after that conversation with Warnock in December, Zohore has gone from strength to strength.
The transformation in attitiude has been followed by a flow of goals and Zohore himself says: “It’s going really well for me at the moment and I’m just doing the things that I have long known I could.”
As the international break arrives, Cardiff fans are hoping that Zohore can improve his form further and continue to score more goals to help fire City higher up the table.
