From time to time, a discussion arises in the media about how much longer Andriy Yarmolenko will continue his professional career. The player’s contract with the capital club is valid until the end of the season. At the end of October, Andriy turned 35 years old.
Of course, due to his age, Yarmolenko has lost some abilities. He no longer has that stamina, sharpness; he can’t play the full 90 minutes in every match. This is all evident to the naked eye. Some fans even express dissatisfaction with Yarmolenko’s performance, pointing to his age.
For a fresh issue of the magazine “Football,” I did an interview with Andriy Shevchenko’s first coach and Ihor Kostiuk, San Sanych Shpakov. He directly said that Shevchenko could have played longer and ended his career too soon.
I truly hope that Yarmolenko will not end his professional football career after this season and will play for another year or two, or maybe even longer. Despite his respectable age in football, Andriy is still very useful.
Yarmolenko can bring a lot of benefit on the football field. At the level of today’s UPL championship, Andriy remains one of the best players. The team has grown significantly mentally since his return. Young football players progress and develop faster, becoming more confident in themselves when such a player is playing alongside them.
In this challenging time for our country, Yarmolenko has become not only a symbol of “Dynamo” but also of Ukrainian football. A man who played in the Bundesliga, EPL, and Saudi Arabia, has earned himself a comfortable retirement, returned to his native club. During the war, everyone is trying to leave the country and ensure the safety of their families. And Andriy, having the opportunity to live in London or any other part of the world, returned to a country that is being bombed. Even our national team gathers abroad, and some legionnaires have not been in the country since the war began or left Ukraine during the transfer period. Yet here is a person who returned voluntarily on his own.
Yarmolenko could have said everything beautifully after Euro not only to the Ukrainian national team but also to the club. Such a decision would have been understood. But the person is not yet done with football; he wants more adrenaline from matches, cups, medals, the Champions League. A great example for other players. Not everyone plays until they are 30, and here is a player who is already 35 and still not done playing.
I really like the tradition when players return to their native club to finish their careers. It’s first and foremost gratitude to the club for educating the player and giving him a path into big football. It is symbolic that Andriy Shevchenko finished his career this way. It is symbolic that Andriy Yarmolenko is finishing football this way. I hope that in 10-12 years, Ilya Zabarnyi will conclude his career in the same way.
Serhiy TYSHCHENKO
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