Defender of Dnipro in the 1970s and 1980s Petro Kutuzov spoke about his former teammate, then 19-year-old Anatoliy Demyanenko.
— I never doubted Demyanenko’s abilities, as I saw his level. Tolik had great motivation, since he was not from a wealthy family. However, nature rewarded him with talent and great work capacity. Sabo placed me in the position of a full-back, and Demyanenko — in the front. We went out as a pair, we got along well.
— Demyanenko was promoted after his debut season with Dnipro.
— At first, Anatoliy’s parents, who were deaf-mute, were quite scared. When they saw people in uniform at their doorstep, they thought their son had done something wrong. It turned out that they were just taking him to Dynamo.