Vitaliy Mykolenko: “I'm nervous before the game against Dynamo. Meet my friends, never played against them"

Everton defender Vitaly Mykolenko shared his expectations for the charity match against Dynamo, which will take place on July 29.

Vitaly Mikolenko. Photo: gettyimages.com

- For the first time, the Ukrainian team will play in England after the start of a full-scale war. What does this mean for you?

- To be honest, I'm a little nervous before the game. I will meet my friends, my former team. Never played against them.

— How important is it for you that Everton is so actively trying to help the Ukrainian people?

— Firstly, I would like to thank the club and the owner for supporting my country. I'm really glad that this match will take place here.

— Tell us about the support you personally received. You seem to have a very good relationship with the head coach and teammates.

- Support was from the very first day from each teammate, each coach. I know that there is not much news in England (about the war, - approx.), but every day they ask me how things are at home. Just a big thank you. I want to say that I want to fight for this club, because I am very respected and trusted here. I also respect everyone and say thank you.

- How important can football be as a tool to influence the coverage of events in Ukraine and public consciousness? Are Dynamo matches a good way to remind you of this?

— The information war has a great influence on the whole war. Therefore, it is very important for Ukrainian clubs to hold such matches. I am very happy that there is an opportunity to play against my former team. This information flow should be maintained that the war is still there, it has not ended. We need to show people that it's still far from over.

— How do you feel in the last 5 months?

— My family is fine, still in Kyiv. I hope everything will be fine in the future too. The first months were very difficult for every Ukrainian. Now I feel fine, but I constantly watch and read the news. A lot of bombs and missiles are flying into Ukraine. This is terrible. I can't imagine it because I've never been there.