Heorhii Bushchan: “I don’t say ‘goodbye’. I believe we’ll meet again”

Heorhii Bushchan: “I don’t say ‘goodbye’. I believe we’ll meet again”

Goalkeeper Heorhii Bushchan, who’s spent many years with FC Dynamo Kyiv, did a broad interview for club media after announcement of his transfer to Al Shabab FC (Saudi Arabia).

- Do you remember how old you were when you first joined Dynamo?

- Honestly, over the past few days I’ve remembered almost every day of my time at Dynamo. Of course, I remember the first day too.

- You’ve made 177 official appearances for Dynamo. Do you think it’s a lot?

- I don’t. I started performing for the first team in 2017 and I think I could’ve done more.

- Do you feel as a legend of the club?

- I guess I’ve got a certain reputation. Time will tell. I was doing my best to help Dynamo win. I love this team.

- What are you most proud of over the years?

- I’m proud I was able to prove every day on the football field that I’m worthy of playing for Dynamo, because here you have to win every day. This is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life, something that has been passed down since childhood – Dynamo Kyiv must win, there is no other option for us. I’m proud I was in this club and every day I thought only about winning.

- Is there anything you regret?

- Of course there is. I guess it’s about injuries.

- You had a fierce competition with Shovkovskyi, Rudko, Koval. When it seemed you became #1, you suffered that fracture in 2018 and the club invited Denys Boiko. What motivated you to stay?

- Five years ago the level of Ukrainian Premier League was different. There was fierce competition everywhere, not only in Dynamo. Did I want to try myself an another club? I did.

I had game practice with Dynamo-2 in the First League which was a really serious level as well. Eventually my time came and I made my debut for Dynamo under the charge of Oleksandr Khatskevych.

I remember that summer training camp in Austria. We had Maksym Koval and Artur Rudko on the team. At that time I was the third or fourth goalkeeper. I was 23. So I asked the coach to let me play elsewhere and get some practice. He said he hadn’t decided who’d be the #1 keeper and asked to have patience. Fate gives you a chance you can use or not. But then that fracture happened…

- Then the competition became even more intense…

- Then Denys Boiko joined the team. I’m really thankful to him as we always kept each other fit.

- You were the life and soul of the party. Who do you leave this important position in the team to?

- What do you mean “was”? I still am. You know we have competition in this regard, so I guess Dubinchak is glad.

- Did you take any advice from teammates when you got the transfer offer?

- Andrii Yarmolenko was the first to find out. He congratulated me. So did other guys.

- Yarmolenko used to play abroad a lot including UAE. What did he tell you?

- He said I should do my job and stay as fun as I was in Dynamo.