After the war broke out, many Ukrainian talents ended up in Europe. In fact, it is very difficult for young Ukrainian footballers to find themselves abroad. Despite their obvious talents, they face many different problems.
Yelisey Lytvyn trained at the Dynamo Academy in 2007. After the war broke out, he ended up in the UK, where he had the opportunity to try his hand at both Manchester-based giants.
- How did you end up in the Dynamo system?
- At the age of 9, I was invited by my children's team Chaika from the village of the same name near Kyiv on Zhytomyr highway.
- Which coaches worked with you at the Dynamo Academy?
- I started playing under the guidance of Volodymyr Anikiev. From U-12, Artem Yashkin took our age for two years. When we moved to the U-14, Serhii Bezhenar became our coach, and Yevhen Lozynskyi was our assistant. The last coach before the full-scale invasion was Yuriy Mykolayovych Dmytrulin. He has also been working since 2007 and is assisted by Lozynskyi.
- How do you feel about your studies at the Dynamo Academy?
- It's going very well. There are all opportunities for growth. As I got older, the training sessions started to become more intense, with more tactics and physical activity to help the players develop more.
- After the war started, you left Dynamo. Where did you end up?
- I was waiting for a British visa for two weeks. My maternal grandmother lives in the UK. She lives near Bolton, which is 10 minutes from Manchester.
After moving, we immediately started looking for opportunities to play football. We turned to a friend of my grandmother's. He is a member of the England U-17-19 team. His name is Yaroslav. He is of Ukrainian descent. His grandfather moved to England after the Second World War. He speaks a little bit of Ukrainian.
Yaroslav asked MJ whether there were any opportunities for me. They offered a team of 14-year-olds. It was not the Academy itself, but a development team. I stayed there for two weeks and played one game. I was older, there was no point in continuing.
A week later, I received a similar offer from Man City. The team is called Manchester City SELECT. It helps young players from all over England (most of the players are from the suburbs of Manchester) to show their talent. You train 2-3 times a week to be visible to the scouts of MS and the Premier League teams.
- Why didn't you stay?
- Because the UK has left the European Union, Ukrainian players cannot sign any contracts under the age of 18. Legally, it is impossible to transfer.
- Which club do you play for now?
- Bolton Development. This team is close to the Academy. We play against the same teams. These are actually the second teams of our age. There is an offer to stay until the age of 18 and study at college. Then you can try your hand at the 19-year-old team with all the necessary documents
- What is the peculiarity of player training in England?
- England has a more loyal attitude to mistakes. A mistake is not something bad. On the contrary, you understand what you need to work on. They do not demand any result from us.
- Will you be able to realise yourself in English football?
- There are chances. The main issue here is that the concentration of players in clubs is high. There is a lot of competition in each team. Much more than in Ukraine.
- Have you met any other Ukrainians in England?
- There were two Ukrainians with me at MS. They were both in the Dynamo system. Anton Petrushko, the player of the year 2008, and Denys Zakotyansky, the player of the year 2007. Without British citizenship, they can only play for MS SELECT.
- Do you plan to change the team?
- Yes, I do. I'm moving to Portugal now. Mykola Morozyuk helped me. He started helping Ukrainian footballers to realise their potential in Europe. He offered the Coimbra Academy. The first team is not in the best position. 5 years ago, they were relegated from the top league and are now in the third strongest division. But the Academy itself is considered one of the strongest in Portugal. I will play for the U-17-19 age group. Now I am dealing with documents and moving to the Pyrenees
- Which of Dynamo's 2007 players ended up in Europe after the war broke out?
- Midfielder Oleksandr Dragan is training in the main group of the Atalanta Academy of his age. Goalkeeper Oleksandr Petrenko is with Bayer Leverkusen. Having already played one game for the U-19s, Dmytro Bogdanov is the captain of Dynamo Dresden at his age. Dmytro Varivoda at the Austrian club Admira. Bohdan Popov is at the Polish club Gurnik Zabrze. As far as I know, he has to move to another country.
- What is your position on the football field?
- I am a central defender. I can play as a full-back and wing-back. I cover all defensive positions.
- What are your strengths?
- Reading the game. According to statistics, a lot of interceptions. A lot of victories in riding duels and one-on-ones.
- Last summer you were in Kyiv. Why did you decide to go again?
- I am 16 years old. I feel a lot of moral and physical stress. I thought that if I returned to Dynamo, I would feel better. But my family and I decided to try our hand in Europe. If there is such a chance, why not take it?
- Ukraine's 2007 national team is forming its squad for the Euro U-17 qualifiers. Do you want to get a challenge?
- It is an honour to represent your national team on the football field. But if they don't call me, it won't be a tragedy for me. I'll have to work on myself.
- Your father took part in the defence of Kyiv. Could you tell us a bit about that?
- We live in Stoyanka, near Dmytrulin. It is very close to Irpin and Gostomel. Since the beginning of the war, everything has been close to us. We left Stoyanka on 5 March. My father stayed in the TPO. He helped to liberate Irpin and the nearest villages.
Serhii Tyshchenko