Brentford midfielder Yehor Yarmolyuk talked about his move to the English team and also recalled the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine in an interview with the club’s press service.
Yehor Yarmolyuk. Photo: brentfordfc.com“I lived in Dnipro. I woke up because I heard some bombs. The first thing I did was call my relatives and ask what happened. They said, "The war has started." I took my passport, clothes, and went to my family. I lived far from them, so I rushed to be with my family.
Before the war, I never even thought this could happen. Now you look at things differently. For me, everything has changed a lot. It has changed my thinking. It changes how I am and what I feel every day. It makes you realize how much you should be happy when there is no war in your country. My heroes are the soldiers who fight for Ukraine in this situation.
My parents and younger brother stayed at home. They told me they don't want to go anywhere; this is their home, so they don't want to move. I haven't been home for two and a half years. It's very hard. I'm just waiting for the war to end so that I can at least go home for a few days and see my family. I haven't seen my dad for two and a half years, but I saw my mom this summer. She came to Poland with my brother, so we spent a few days together. It was very special.
I communicate with my family every day; with my mom, dad, and younger brother. We chat for about an hour every day, which is very important to me. I have friends in Ukraine whom I haven't seen for several years, but I still keep in touch with them. I hope that soon we will be able to meet again.
I remember how I used to go home with friends to play football. We just played football all day, enjoyed ourselves, and didn’t think about anything. Those are my best childhood memories. My dad helped me a lot. When I didn't want to go to training, he said I had to. My dad is not a professional footballer, but he also loved playing with his friends. He really supported me. I started playing on my local team that was near Dnipro. Then I played for another team from another city close to Dnipro. I was there from age 6 to 13 when I moved to SC Dnipro-1.
Debut in UPL? I remember, the day before the game, I didn't even know I would be in the first team lineup. I asked the coach if I could go home, and he said: "No, you can't, you need to be ready for tomorrow's game because tomorrow you will debut." I was very surprised and remember when I stepped onto the field, it was so scary, but I was also very proud of myself.
When there was the COVID period, we continued to train in Dnipro, but when the full-scale war began, it was a tough time for us because I didn't train for half a year, as it was impossible. No one was training, and no one knew how long this would last. Then I found a way and started training by myself, and then also played football with friends. Of course, I wanted to stay home. I was 17 or 18. I was scared to move somewhere far from home where you don’t know the language.
My family supported me and said that I needed to do this. They said that sometimes you need to make serious decisions and take big steps to have a better future. Earlier, I hadn't thought about moving from Ukraine, but then I had no choice, so I had to move. It was interesting because I didn't know about it. My agent told me that Brentford was interested in me. Actually, it didn't take long; it took only a few weeks to finalize the deal, and I moved.
I had a great chance to play in the Premier League with Brentford, and I'm very happy about it. I didn’t speak English at all, and when you understand nothing, it’s very hard. Language was the most important thing, but over time it gets easier and easier. The club helped me a lot with everything—from learning the language to renting an apartment and finding my accommodation. Everyone helped me a lot. We have a friendly team that can help in tough times and when everything is fine. Now I am happy that I moved, but it was a big step in my life. For me, this is my second home. Now I feel at home because there are many Ukrainians in London.
Call-up to the Ukrainian national team? It was really a good experience. I am very excited about the debut and hope that it will soon become another dream come true. Even before the war, I was proud to play for Ukraine, and now even more so—when you put on the Ukraine jersey, it means a lot to me and every player who plays for Ukraine. In every game, you leave everything on the field for Ukraine. We play for everyone in Ukraine.
Now, due to the war, we do not play in Ukraine, only away games. It’s not easy, but you can't change anything; you just have to play. You have to represent your country wherever you can. This is the Ukrainian mentality. We will never give up; we just keep going. I am proud of my country, and I am proud that I am Ukrainian,” said Yarmolyuk.
