The Ukrainian full-back has started regularly for the Blues despite the shadow of war
Vitalii Mykolenko has made his thoughts clear
Vitalii Mykolenko has made his thoughts clear(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)
Vitalii Mykolenko was left in tears after a touching gesture before an Everton game. The defender joined the blues in the summer of 2017 and has clocked up 87 appearances for the Toffees since.
Mykolenko has had to start regularly as his country of Ukraine is in turmoil. In February 2022, President Putin launched what he called a 'special military operation'. The result has been a large-scale invasion of Ukraine and massive backlash from across the international community.
The Everton defender, who is the captain of his national side, responded in an Instagram post at the time which said: "I want the whole world to know that the Russian army is now killing civilians in all cities of independent Ukraine. Russian media writes that they are defending Donetsk and Luhansk, but this is not true!
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“It’s hard to hear the anxious voice of my parents who are looking for an opportunity to protect themselves and help others and I can not help my parents. I ask the whole world to help my homeland. I am proud to be Ukrainian. Glory to Ukraine."
His dad, Sergei, was set to visit Goodison Park for the first time that month for Everton’s game against Manchester City but had to cancel the trip due to the conflict starting. Reflecting on that conversation with his mum, Olesia, he said: “I don’t have kids yet but I remember my first thought being, ‘My father is never going to meet my kids.’ That was my first thought.”
In that match, Manchester City defender and fellow Ukrainian Oleksandr Zinchenko fought back the tears after embracing Mykolenko ahead of the game. The two players hugged on the pitch as their sides warmed up for the game on Saturday evening, with the embrace bringing up applause from everyone inside the ground.
Everton supporters also unveiled a banner in support of Mykolenko and Ukraine ahead of the game, with news coming that the club had offered to fund the costs for it. The Blues also dropped the pre-match air raid siren that is normally played before both sets of players enter the field of play to Z-Cars.
Vitalii Mykolenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko of Ukraine before the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park on February 26, 2022
Everton first introduced the playing of the air raid siren back in 2019 as a way of galvanising the Goodison Park crowd before its traditional Z-Cars theme would play. Both sets of players also took to the pitch showing their support for Ukraine. City first entered the field of play wearing t-shirts with the Ukrainian flag on and had the words ‘No War’ in both Ukrainian and English.
While Everton's players entered the Goodison pitch with Ukraine flags wrapped around them. When Z-Cars had finished playing, 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' by The Hollies played just before kick off.
After that hugely emotional moment, reporter Matt Critchley said: "Tears on the bench from both Mykolenko and Zinchenko as ‘He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother’ plays around Goodison. Hard to possibly imagine what’s going through their minds right now."
His dad Sergei had left his job as a builder to join the military and defend their homeland. In his most recent update on how his family back home are doing,published in February 2023, he said: “They are not okay, but relatively okay, I guess. Normal. In Ukraine, now the biggest problem is electricity and the lack of it. I’m really happy because my parents now live in a house, rather than an apartment, and they have their own fireplace. This is so important when there is no electricity.”
Sergei did get the chance to visit his son in Merseyside in January 2023. Mykolenko said his dad was “shocked” that he was approached on the street and was being asked for pictures by Everton fans.