Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko is returning from the international break bouncing, despite a ‘scary’ moment.
[UA-Football cover comments](https://www.ua-football.com/ua/ukrainian/national/1763393035-mikolenko-pro-peremogu-nad-islandiyeyu-u-pevniy-moment-matchu-bulo-strashno.html) from the Everton defender today after they beat Iceland in matchday 10 of their World Cup qualifiers. That left them in second in Group D, with 10 points from six games and three ahead of Iceland.
They’re now heading to the play-offs, where they’ll battle for a place at the tournament next summer.
The 2-0 result was the first clean sheet that Mykolenko and his team have kept this year. But things could have been very different with the scores at 0-0 in the 76th minute.
Anatoliy Trubin produced a superb, almost point blank save to deny Iceland taking the lead. And the Everton man admits that was a scary moment.
_“The emotions are positive. I’m very happy,”_ he said.
_“I felt such a thrill when we scored the second goal. When the match ended, I looked at the stands. It was a thrill to see it._
_“Trubin’s rescue? At that moment, we were a little nervous, it became scary, and Tolya was a good guy. I think he was the lion of the match today.”_
Everton player becoming a leader
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Mykolenko headed into the international break in a positive mood after Everton’s 2-0 win beforehand.
He’s been a regular for the Toffees this season, further cementing his key player status for Ukraine as well. That is something the Everton defender was more than aware of ahead of the big clash with Iceland.
_“Before the match, I caught myself thinking that before I was more worried about my game,”_ he added.
_“But now I have a slightly different excitement, because you are not only responsible for yourself, but also for the team. I’m one of the leaders of the team, I guess._
_“I don’t know if I can say that about myself or not. But now I understand the experienced players who played before more, and I understand what they were worried about before the match.”_