The Sunderland winger has spoken candidly about leaving his homeland and finding stability in English football
Timur Tutierov has reflected on his remarkable journey from war-torn Ukraine to Wearside - and now to Exeter City - as he continues to build his career away from home.
The Sunderland winger, currently on loan at Exeter City, admits he is simply grateful for the opportunity to play football after his family were forced to flee Ukraine following the outbreak of war.
Tutierov was born in Crimea and first kicked a ball at just two years old with his father. “I started to play when I was two with my Dad, in Crimea,” he told DevonLive. “I was born in Crimea, but when the war started, we moved to Spain. I lived there for four years. Then we went back again to Ukraine, in Kiev this time, where I signed my first professional contract with Kolos, my previous team. I did quite well, Sunderland saw me, got me, and that’s probably my football journey!”
His move to Sunderland came when he was just 17 - a moment he still describes with disbelief. “I had dreams since childhood. I wanted to play in England and when these things happen at 17, it’s kind of ‘wow.’ A big wow.”
The transition, though, was not straightforward. Cultural differences, language barriers and adapting to life in a new country all presented challenges. “In the beginning, it was very hard, cultural differences, even though I’m very young. But still, some things I won’t be able to understand, like the language and accent! So it took some time, and now, as I said, I feel that Sunderland is my home.
“I’m happy to have a home because obviously, Ukraine unfortunately right now is at war and it’s really nice to have home somewhere else. The war is terrible and when people die, it’s terrible and I’m very happy to have this opportunity to develop myself. Obviously, my family are back home and I am very worried about them, but it’s good to have an opportunity to be here.”
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Now on loan at Exeter, Tutierov says the sense of unity within the squad has helped him settle quickly. “Everyone sticks together,” he explained. “Sometimes, in teams, you have different kind of groups where some people stick with each other and don’t integrate with others, but since the first day, I didn’t see that picture here, which made me feel excited. It’s kind of a family and it’s really good for the football club. We have the same goals, same principles, same ideas, and it’s really, really nice.”
Loan moves can be daunting, particularly for a young foreign player who had only just begun to feel settled in England. But Tutierov believes the switch to Exeter represents the next step in his development. “It has definitely given me confidence. A loan is very hard for me, because I’m obviously a foreigner. Sunderland in the beginning was for me not my home, I would say it was like that, but at the time it’s become my home, I need to move on to the next stage in my life at Exeter. I kind of had my doubts because you obviously settle in this comfort zone, but then I came down, spoke to the Gaffer, spoke with Perks, seen the lads and I felt confident to make this step. I’m very happy I’m here.”
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