Manchester City and England defender John Stones spoke about his relationship with Oleksandr Zinchenko before the match against Ukraine in Euro 2024 qualification.
"Zinchenko's behavior at the beginning of the war? I don't know if 'shocked' is the right word. He was not himself at all, he was very sad. He was usually a really happy person.
It shocked us all. I never thought I would see that. I was upset about Zinchenko. We all tried to talk to him and force him to open up about his feelings. He was always finding out what his family, who was still there, was doing and how he could help.
I know he was on the streets of Manchester with a lot of fellow countrymen. I think it was about the soccer family as well. People showed their heart by acknowledging that there are more important things than soccer. I can't imagine what he went through.
To go through that and win another title is a huge credit to him and the whole support team, his wife, his mental strength. I think he probably would have wanted to succeed for them. That nothing would be allowed to knock him down or prevent him from reaching his goal.
I have a great love for Zinchenko, as well as great respect. We still keep in touch. It's not easy to leave the club and still stay in touch, but he did. We still joke around. We'll probably have some joke in the tunnel - but as soon as the whistle blows, each of us wants to win. I definitely want to beat Zinchenko," Stones said.