The midfielder of «Brentford» and now the national team of Ukraine, Yehor Yarmolyuk talked about the upcoming match against «Bournemouth», the first call-up from Rebrov, and his fellow Ukrainian who almost became his teammate.
— Yehor, congratulations on your first call-up to the national team!
— Thank you for the congratulations! Of course, the emotions were positive. I am very pleased with this and I am really looking forward to joining the national team camp.
— How did you find out about such an important step forward in your international career, and what did you feel?
— The administrator of the national team informed me about the call-up. Right now, I am preparing for the next match at the club and waiting for the trip to the national team.
— Alexander Nazarenko, who you know well, confessed that he barely kept his phone, when he found out about the call-up to the national team? Did anything fall off, break for you?
— No, that didn’t happen (smiling). Everything is fine with my phone (smiling). I no longer have the jitters like Nazarenko. Everything is calm.
— Have you spoken with Serhiy Rebrov or other coaches of the national team yet?
— Not yet. Probably, this will happen directly when I arrive at the national team.
— For the second consecutive gathering of the national team, new players are being called up. Do you think it’s time for renewal, or is it a result of not very successful results in the Nations League?
— It’s hard to say. The coach decides who to call up. From my side, I am happy with my call-up, and I will be glad if young players are getting involved.
— What do you say about the upcoming opponents? Both Georgia and Albania disrupted the tranquility in European football over the past year…
— It’s hard to play against any national team because they have the best players from their countries. Our job is to prepare as strongly as possible and show our best game. Yes, everyone knows the leaders of our opponents, but I will not single anyone out. When you play for the national team, you have double motivation, and everyone enters the field giving not 100% but 200%. We need to focus on ourselves and play our football.
— Have you discussed your call-up with other Ukrainians in the EPL? How did they react?
— The guys congratulated me, we discussed it a bit. And on Monday, we will all fly together from London to the gathering.
— In such a company, will you feel more confident entering the national team's hotel for the first time?
— That’s for sure. It’s always a bit easier when there’s someone familiar.
— You will fly to the national team with Illia Zabarnyi right after the match between each other — «Brentford» will play against «Bournemouth». It will happen that someone will be in a better mood, and someone in a worse…
— I hope we will both be in a good mood, but mine will be a bit better (laughs).
— Have you discussed the upcoming meeting in the championship with Illia? And in general, do you communicate with other players before matches in the EPL?
— Usually, we can meet after the game. Either we communicate a bit directly at the stadium, or we sit somewhere after the match. And right now, before the game with «Bournemouth», nothing like that happened. We will see Illia after the match; we’ll talk.
— How often do you manage to communicate?
— I cannot say that it’s very often, but we maintain a constant connection and communication among ourselves.
— Are you still playing in CS?
— Yes, I play with Mykolenko. Zinchenko promised to play with me, but that hasn’t happened yet.
— You were talking about his promise last spring, it seems…
— Yes, yes, but my request to him is still hanging (smiling).
— What do you think the fact that there are 5 players of the Ukrainian national team playing in the EPL says?
— The opinion of many people is that England has the strongest league in the world. And I agree with that. The strongest players are gathered here. It’s very pleasant that representatives of Ukraine are playing in such a championship. It means there is a demand for our players and there is a level in them.
— Who do you consider the most successful Ukrainian legionnaire at the moment?
— Illia Zabarnyi. He is showing himself very well. In every match, he demonstrates a stable level. I believe that he is currently the best Ukrainian legionnaire.
— Just recently, a video with a song from the fans about him went viral. Do they not sing about you yet? And how do you generally feel about the fans of Brentford?
— They haven’t sung to me at the stadium yet, but when I meet fans in the city, they ask to take photos, and sometimes they sing. It’s very nice!
— It’s obvious that the cheering culture in England is significantly different from ours. What were your feelings when you saw it not on television but experienced it from the inside?
— It’s incredibly pleasant to play in front of a full stadium! When I went out in the first few games, I got chills from how the fans react, how they support. It’s very nice. And this is the case in every game: a full stadium, emotions overflow, and playing football in such an atmosphere is just a pleasure.
— You won the tournament in France with the Olympic team but didn’t go to the Olympics. Did the club categorically refuse to let you go?
— The club decided then that I needed to hold training camps here for preparation for the championship. And how negotiations with UAF were conducted, I don’t know.
— How satisfied are you with your playing time this season?
— You always want more. I work on myself every day and expect as much time on the field as possible; I am making every effort for this. I always want more.
— Your only goal in adult club football remains in the Ukrainian Cup against «Dnipro-1». Does this weigh on you psychologically?
— I don’t attach importance to it, and this statistic doesn’t weigh on me. I believe the moment will come — I will score, and then it will continue.
— How does the club assess the current tournament situation?
— For every match, we go out with the goal of earning three points. And we cannot draw conclusions after 10 games yet. Before every round, our task is to take the maximum points and get closer to the tops in the table. In general, our goal is to occupy the highest possible place.
— It’s cool that you are now above MU in the table?
— That’s not something to talk about. We focus on ourselves and aim to win every game.
— Before this season, goalkeeper Raya and forward Toney left the team. How much did this affect the team? How has it changed?
— I don’t think it has somehow affected our game and results. Yes, we sold good players, but in my opinion, the team remains just as strong and competitive.
— What type of football does Thomas Frank want to see from you?
— We have our tactics, but we approach each opponent differently. Every game in the Premier League is very difficult. The coach emphasizes our attention on immediate pressing when losing the ball, and if the opponent allows, demands as much ball possession as possible. We are not afraid to play against top teams and strive to act in our style.
— You are almost the youngest in the first team of «Brentford». How do you feel in the squad?
— There is no age division among us; we have a single friendly group. Everyone supports one another, and the team stays together.
— Recently, Ramiq Gadzhiyev was on trial at «Brentford». Did you take care of him?
— Yes, of course, I took him under my wing. Ramiq is a good guy. It’s a pity he didn’t stay.
— What didn't work out for him?
— I can’t say for sure. He trained with team B and sometimes with the first team.
— How closely do you follow the Ukrainian championship? How do you assess the current level of UPL?
— I watch some games with friends participating. It’s interesting to watch, to support them. I keep track of Nazar Voloshyn, Bohdan Sliubik, and there are a couple more people. It’s interesting to follow Nazarenko — «Polissya» is performing well currently. I believe that in Ukraine, under the circumstances, there is a worthy level of football. The championship has been preserved, and it continues to interest fans and please people.
— Can you predict the top three prize winners?
— «Dynamo», «Shakhtar», «Polissya».
— Do you think «Oleksandriya» won’t stay in the top three?
— Oh, yes. Then I will name the top four: «Dynamo», «Shakhtar», «Polissya», «Oleksandriya».
Pavlo Klymenko
