‘My first thought was he’d never meet my kids when I have them’: Everton Ukrainian star Vitalii Mykolenko opens up on finding out his dad had taken up arms to defend his country after Russia’s invasion – days before he was due to watch him play Man City
- Sergei Mykolenko left job as a builder to become a soldier after Russia’s invasion
- Mykolenko was excused playing in City game as he came to terms with situation
- His father was able to make his long-awaited first visit to Merseyside last month
Everton’s Ukraine international Vitalii Mykolenko has movingly revealed the horror of his father taking up arms to defend his country when he’d been scheduled to travelling to England and watch his son play in the Premier League.
Mykolenko had booked a ticket for dad Sergei to see Everton’s game against Manchester City on February 26 last year only for the plans to be ripped up when the Russian invaded Ukraine two days earlier.
Mum Odessa then called to deliver the bombshell news that Sergei had left his job as a builder to become a soldier.
‘I was totally shocked. I cried,’ reveals Mykolenko who was on his way to training when he took the fateful call.
‘My first thought was my father was never going to meet my kids when I have them. He was already in a bunker with little or no connection to his phone. We could only speak rarely and texting was dangerous because we weren’t sure if Russian soldiers could intercept them and gain information.
Ukrainian Vitalii Mykolenko has movingly revealed the horror of his father taking up arms
Sergei Mykolenko left job as a builder to become a soldier after Russia’s invasion last year
Mykolenko was excused from playing in the City game as he came to terms with the invasion
‘When I did manage to speak to him, he told me he wasn’t scared, but I was. He is incredibly brave and still in the military based in Kyiv. If he is needed somewhere else, he will go.’
Mykolenko was excused playing in the City game as he came to terms with the invasion but happily reports in an interview with Saturday’s Everton match programme that his parents are safe in the capital city and Sergei was finally able to make his long-awaited first visit to Merseyside last month.
‘We drove into the city centre and when we went into the Everton Two shop (club shop) everyone welcomed me: “How’s it going Myko.”
‘My dad was completely shocked that everyone knew me and wanted to make sure I was okay.’
Mykolenko joined Everton at the start of last year from Dynamo Kyiv and said he was overwhelmed by the club’s support following the invasion including being given the captain’s armband in his comeback match against Boreham Wood in the FA Cup.
The 23-year-old made his 40th appearance for Everton against Leeds United on Saturday.
The left-backsaid he was overwhelmed by the club’s support following the invasion
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