by Staff Writer
Friday, 27th June 2025
He spent four years at West Ham during a period of major upheaval in both his personal and professional life - but Andriy Yarmolenko is finally able to enjoy his football.
Now 35, the Ukrainian international returned to his home nation in 2023 after spending a season in the Middle East with Al Ain, whom he joined on a free transfer after ending his time in east London.
A popular figure at West Ham, 'Yarmo' famously broke down in tears after scoring the winning goal against Aston Villa during his final season at the club as the pressure of war in his homeland became too much to bear.
And even though his country remains under constant and continual threat from Putin's war machine, the forward admits he feels happy once more being able to represent the club with whom he began his professional career some 18 years ago.
Yarmolenko's latest goal for current club Dynamo Kyiv took his tally in the Ukrainian Premier League to 114, just 10 behind the all-time record of 124 set previously by Maksim Shatsky nearly a decade ago.
But when asked whether he has the record in his sights by local media, the 125-times-capped wide man admitted that his only concern is to carry on playing for as long as possible - and to see Dynamo regain their league title.
"I'm not interested in that at all," Yarmolenko told dynamo.kiev.ua. "I don't care about these chances. Whether I break this record or not is beside the point, I'm just focusing on Dynamo becoming champions again.
"For me, the most important thing is that my team became champions - and I saw the joy in my eyes when I looked in the mirror. When I saw joy in the eyes of my team mates, my friends, my family and my children - because Dynamo were champion again - that's the most important thing for me.
And when asked whether his experiences abroad with Borussia Dortmund and West Ham United had helped him extend his career into his mid-thirties - and possibly beyond, with retirement not even being mentioned yet - Yarmolenko insisted those experiences of playing in the Bundesliga and the (English) Premier League has been vital.
"Of course it helps," he confirmed. "I played at the highest level and I think that was important. Although I think that every experience in life is helpful."
However he admitted he rarely keeps in touch with his former team mates at West Ham. "Sometimes we write to each other," he admitted, "but there is no such thing as being friends with players from other clubs!"
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