Aleksey Cherednik Defender Date of Birth: 16.09.1960 Country: Ukraine

Biography of Alexey Cherednik

Alexey Cherednik was a defender who gained recognition in European cup competitions, much like many of his fellow countrymen. During a UEFA Cup match between Dnipro and Admir Vakker, scouts from Southampton were present, including a young Sheringham at the time. Cherednik's performance caught their attention, leading to an invitation for a trial.

Despite being 30 years old at the time, Cherednik was given permission to travel for the trial as he had earned it by winning the Olympics the previous year. The English club was impressed by him, but negotiations hit a pause after two to three days. Cherednik inquired about the delay with his agent, who showed him a newspaper article indicating interest from Wimbledon and Queens Park Rangers as well. This seemed to have also caught the attention of Southampton's management.

His agent suggested going for trials in London, where representatives from Southampton welcomed them at a hotel. The club did not want to delay any further and signed Cherednik to a four-and-a-half-year contract for £150,000, despite his age of 30. Cherednik became the first "Soviet" player in the then-young Premier League. Although the contract was signed, they still had to wait for two more months for a work permit.

As a result, Cherednik only started playing in March of 1990. Southampton's coach, Chris Nicholl, was pleased with Cherednik's performance and included him in the starting lineup until the end of the season. The season ended on a positive note as the club finished seventh. However, with a new coach, Bradford, the club started to decline, and Cherednik found himself out of the squad. Friction started to arise, culminating in Cherednik's statement to Mr. Bradford: "Mr. Bradford, you misled the bosses of Southampton by calling yourself a football coach. In reality, you are a rugby coach." As a result, Mr. Bradford sent him to the reserves, where Cherednik completed his contract, which lasted for three seasons. He even became the champion of England among the reserves, a title of its own.

After his contract ended, Cherednik returned home and eventually retired from his football career a couple of years later.