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.
- Dynamo have a number of good keepers – Neshcheret, Morhun, Ihnatenko. Do you think they can meet the standards you’ve set?
- I think mentally they’re ready. I wish them all the best.
- Who gets #1?
- I don’t know who’s lucky. But I must say it’s a pressure as well.
- What kind of advice can you give to Morhun and Neshcheret, who’re going to compete for the starting spot?
- There’s no need for my advice, they know it all. Mykhailo Mykhailov is doing a great job, so they know what kind of qualities they need to use.
- You’ve probably already had a talk with Mykhailo Mykhailov, who raised you…
- I got on his nerves a little. A few times I even thought they would kick me out. People think I’m always in a good mood. But I also have a temper. The guys know that when I’m not in the mood, I can say all sorts of nasty things.
Mykhailo Mykhailov supported me in my choice, and I want to thank him for also contributing to this transfer. Ihor Surkis asked him and said I should be given the opportunity to gain such experience, and that he had prepared a worthy replacement for me. You need to do a lot of work so that you have people who understand the principles of Dynamo football.
- You came to the training camp with the team and there were no preconditions for Dynamo to spend the second part of the season without you. Is that so?
- It is. Actually I came here with a different idea on my mind. I didn’t think of a transfer. Yes, I did everything to prove myself on the European stage for both the club and the national team, I expected a serious challenge, but for a goalkeeper from Ukraine, especially if you are over 25, it’s very difficult. There are regulations that create some restrictions on signing foreigners. There were clubs that admitted that it was easier for them to sign, let’s say, a Brazilian than a goalkeeper from Ukraine. If I were 20-23, things would have been different, because in that case there is time to develop. And I’m already an established goalkeeper, I have my qualities that are not going anywhere, you can only improve them.
- But you were probably getting ready for that mentally for years?
- I was for some time, but after a couple of transfers didn’t happen I told myself I would probably try to become a legend of this club.
- Transfer to which clubs were the most realistic?
- If everything had gone as it should have, Vitaliy Mykolenko and I would have gone to England together.
- They were saying Nottingham Forrest were interested in you…
- They were, but I went to Munich for a back surgery.
- How did you find out about the offer from Al Shabab?
- My agent Vadym Shablii told me.
- I’ve heard Fatih Terim, Al Shabab new gaffer, was personally interested in signing you, even back when he was in charge of Galatasaray.
- I’m not sure about Galatasaray, but I know this coach really wanted to sign me.
- Pavel Nedved, Al Shabab sporting director, was personally negotiating with Dynamo. Have you already got acquainted with him?
- The same day I found out about the possibility of this transfer we had a video call and got acquainted. It was great to meet such a person. When a kid I watched him perform for Juventus.
- Recently Al Hilal gaffer Jorge Jesus said that Saudi league is already one of the best in the world. Do you agree?
