- You were in the starting lineup as Dynamo faced BSC Young Boys away. Was it unexpected?
- They talked about that after the game against FC Karpaty Lviv, but nobody promised me anything. They just asked me whether I was ready and I said I was. I have no way back. One must play being my age.
- You must be satisfied with outcome of that game?
- I’m satisfied as we won, but I’m not completely satisfied with my own play as I know I can do better. I still have what to work on. We analyze every game with goalkeeper coach Mykhailo Mykhailov. It’s too soon to praise me.
- How did you become a goalkeeper?
- When I was 8 or 9 I wanted to be a forward. I didn’t have any special technical skills or speed, but I was the tallest one. That’s why I played as defender at first. Still, when we played outside I started being a keeper. Later youth school coach Vitaliy Hotsuliak offered me to be a goalkeeper. I didn’t like the idea as I wanted to score. We had two lineups, so I was a defender in the first one and goalkeeper in the second. Anyway, I don’t regret anything. I guess it’s my fate.
- When you were 14, after the Youth League final stage you were invited to Dynamo. Weren’t your parents afraid to let you go to Kyiv?
- I guess in Odesa my parents didn’t quite realize I was so serious about sports. Still they always supported me. Back then I got transfer offers from Dynamo and Metalist. I wanted to move to Kharkiv as Metalist were developing both the club and youth school. As for Dynamo, I thought it was something unreal. Still my parents insisted on choosing Kyiv.
When we came, youth coach Serhiy Zhuravliov showed us the academy. Then I was taken to the training complex, where Dynamo-2 were working. I spent two weeks with them. The first year was really difficult. I had two surgeries, but eventually I coped with that.
- In 2014/2015 season you featured for Dynamo-2 in the Ukrainian First League. What are your impressions of that period?
- We had the youngest team in the league, but we had really high profile players. In the first part of the season our coach was Olexandr Khatskevych and after that – Vadym Yevtushenko. We finished fifth in the league that season. I’m really sorry Dynamo-2 were disembodied.
- It must be great for you to work under the charge of Olexandr Khatskevych now?
- Frankly speaking, I was glad when they appointed him. Now I know that if I ask the coach whether he counts on me, he’ll answer honestly. Olexandr Khatskevych treats everyone equally.
Svitlana Poliakova
Material from FC Dynamo Kyiv magazine. Read full version in the issue #5 (94)
Copyright © FC Dynamo Kyiv
