A graduate of Kyiv Dynamo, Denis Oliynyk commented to UPL TV on his decision to end his playing career.
— The football path is short. Although I spent 20 years at the professional level. There were many good moments and experiences. I had a valid contract until the end of the season with LNZ, but I made a decision and consider it a well-thought-out one.
— Can you explain the reasons?
— First of all, I am somewhat psychologically tired. I always want to win. I am not the kind of footballer who will sit on the bench and be satisfied that he is part of the team. Moreover, I am entering the "A" coaching license and do not want to waste time, as when you are a current player, you cannot study. If I didn’t do this now, I would lose a whole year.
— What do you remember most from your career?
— First and foremost, it’s Dynamo, as I was in the academy and went through all the stages to the main team. I had a dream to play for the first team, and it came true.
I also remember Metalist fondly. Wonderful 2.5 years. The coach who used me correctly on the field, knew how to talk to me, how to motivate, and when to "push". At Metalist, I received great pleasure from football.
Dnipro was also a great club, a wonderful collective, I enjoyed the process. But there, I did not get along with Juande Ramos. I remember this club warmly in my heart. And probably, I learned the most at Vitesse. In terms of life and attitude towards football, there was a top coach (Peter Bosz, currently PSV coach — ed.).
At 31 years old, I thought about retiring from football, even prepared a letter about it. When I was in Finland, I aimed to return to Ukraine and prove to everyone who considered me a has-been that it is not so. I am very grateful to Skrypnyk for inviting me to Vorskla. I had a dream — to end my career in Ukraine.
— What are your further dreams?
— I will study a lot. I agreed with Peter Bosz that I would come to him to watch training and communicate to understand the processes better. I have very big ambitions. What kind of coach I will be — time will tell.