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Andrey YarmolenkoUkrainian footballer, forward and midfielder of Dynamo Kyiv
Date of Birth: 23.10.1989
Country:  Ukraine |
Biography of Andriy Yarmolenko
Andriy Yarmolenko is a Ukrainian football player who has played as a forward and midfielder for the Kyiv-based club "Dynamo" and is the captain of the Ukrainian national team. He has participated in three European Championships (2012, 2016, 2020) and holds records for the most appearances (112 matches) and the second-highest goal scorer (45 goals) in the history of the Ukrainian national team.
Early Life
Andriy Yarmolenko's parents are originally from the village of Smolyanka in the Kulikovsky district of the Chernihiv region. After their wedding, Yarmolenko's mother went to work in Leningrad, where his father joined her. It was during their time in Leningrad that Andriy was born. After three years, the family returned to Chernihiv and bought a house. According to his mother's recollections, Andriy started playing with a ball at the age of four or five. One day, Yarmolenko saw coach Mykola Lipovy and invited him to join a football school, becoming his first mentor. Many of Andriy's friends from school and the neighborhood also joined the football section, but most of them eventually quit training, while Yarmolenko continued to attend. He played for the Chernihiv-based club "Yunost" in the Ukrainian Youth Football League. At the age of 13, he joined the football academy of Kyiv's "Dynamo" but returned to Chernihiv after a year due to tough competition.
Club Career - Dynamo Kyiv
Yarmolenko joined Dynamo Kyiv from Chernihiv's "Desna" in January 2005. It all started with an interview with the then-coach of Dynamo Kyiv, Anatoliy Demianenko, who said, "By the way, I was recently informed that our scouts found a boy 130 kilometers from Kyiv, who experts already call the next Shevchenko." Yarmolenko later earned the nickname "The Boy from 130 Kilometers." However, under Demianenko's guidance, Andriy never made his debut for the first team. In his first two years, he played for "Dynamo-2." In his first season for the second team, under the guidance of Yuriy Kalitvintsev and Hennadiy Litovchenko, Yarmolenko scored four goals in 15 matches, and in the 2007/08 season, he scored six goals in 22 matches. During this time, Yarmolenko occasionally played for the reserve team, scoring eight goals in 13 matches. He made his debut for the first team of Dynamo Kyiv on May 11, 2008, in a match against Poltava's "Vorskla." He became a regular player when Valeriy Gazzaev became the head coach. Gazzaev predominantly used a 4-3-3 formation, with Yarmolenko playing as a left forward. In training matches, Gazzaev occasionally tried Yarmolenko as a left-back, but he continued to play in attack.
Initially, Yarmolenko didn't impress with his performances in official matches. Despite the criticism, Gazzaev continued to trust the young player, and Yarmolenko gradually began to justify the coach's confidence. After improving his game, Yarmolenko secured a place in the starting lineup. He remained a key player under Oleg Luzhny and Yuriy Semin. In 2011, he participated in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship held in Denmark. He scored 15 goals in the calendar year at home and three for the national team. He was named the best Ukrainian football player according to the newspaper "Komanda." In a poll conducted by the newspaper "Ukrainian Football" to determine the best player in Ukraine in 2011, Yarmolenko finished second with 272 points, behind Andriy Voronin.
Move to Borussia Dortmund
On August 28, 2017, Yarmolenko signed a contract with Borussia Dortmund until 2021. The transfer fee was €25 million. He wore the number "9" at his new club. On September 9, 2017, he made his debut for Borussia Dortmund in the third round match against Freiburg, coming on as a substitute in the 80th minute for Mario Götze. He scored his first goal in the Bundesliga on October 30, 2017, in a match against Augsburg (2-1). On September 13, he scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League for Borussia Dortmund in a match against Tottenham Hotspur (1-3). The newspaper "Bild" named Yarmolenko the best newcomer of the Bundesliga and the best player at the start of the German championship. Despite injuries, Yarmolenko participated in 26 matches in all competitions during the 2017/18 season and contributed 12 points (6 goals and 6 assists) according to the "goal+assist" system.
Move to West Ham United
On July 11, 2018, Yarmolenko became a player for the English club West Ham United, transferring from Borussia Dortmund for £22 million, with an additional £3 million potentially paid in bonuses. He signed a four-year contract. He made his debut on August 12 in a match against Liverpool (0-4), coming on in the 67th minute as a substitute for Marko Arnautović. On September 16, he scored his first goals for the club, scoring a brace in a match against Everton: in the 11th minute with an assist from Arnautović and in the 31st minute with a shot from outside the box, making the score 2-0 in favor of his team. The match ended with a 3-1 victory for West Ham. On October 20, he scored two goals and provided two assists in a match against Hull City in the EFL Cup, earning a perfect rating of 10 out of 10 according to WhoScored. On November 25, 2021, Yarmolenko was named one of the best players in the match against Rapid Vienna (2-0) in the UEFA Europa League, scoring a goal and winning a penalty.
Move to Al Ain
In July 2022, Yarmolenko signed a one-year contract with the club Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates, managed by Serhiy Rebrov.
International Career
Yarmolenko made his debut for the Ukrainian national team on September 6, 2009, in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra. He scored a goal in the 18th minute, and the match ended with a 5-0 victory for Ukraine. On September 2, 2011, he scored the fastest goal in the history of the national team in the 15th second of the match.
In the summer of 2012, Yarmolenko participated in the final phase of the UEFA European Championship, where on June 11, 2012, in a match against Sweden, won 2-1 by Ukraine, he provided an assist for Andriy Shevchenko. On October 13, 2014, in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Macedonia, which Ukraine won 1-0, he provided an assist to midfielder Serhiy Sydorchuk and became the national team's all-time assist leader with 13 assists, surpassing Andriy Voronin and Andriy Shevchenko. On November 15, 2014, in a match against Luxembourg, he scored a hat-trick and moved up to second place on the list of Ukraine's top scorers.
On September 3, 2020, in a match against Switzerland, Yarmolenko scored his first goal against the opponent and became Ukraine's all-time leader in "goal + assist" statistics with 38 goals and 20 assists. On June 1, 2021, he was included in the official squad of the Ukrainian national team by head coach Andriy Shevchenko for the UEFA Euro 2020 matches. On June 3, 2021, he played in a friendly match against Northern Ireland (1-0), which was his 93rd appearance for the national team, surpassing Oleksandr Shovkovskyi (92 matches) and reaching the 6th place in the overall appearances for the Ukrainian national team. On June 7, 2021, he scored a brace in a friendly match against Cyprus, scoring his 39th and 40th goals for the national team. On June 13, 2021, he scored his first goal in the final stages of the UEFA European Championships in the opening match against the Netherlands (2-3), scoring in the 75th minute. He became the second Ukrainian player after Andriy Shevchenko to score a goal in the final stages of the European Championships, and this goal was also the first for the Ukrainian national team at Euro 2020. In total, he played five matches in the tournament, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
On September 1, 2021, in a World Cup 2022 qualifier against Kazakhstan (2-2), Yarmolenko celebrated his 100th appearance for the national team. He became the fourth player in the national team's history to reach this milestone.
Playing Style
Yarmolenko is an attacking player who can play as a forward or winger. His preferred foot is his left, and he often plays as a right winger in midfield. During matches, he frequently changes positions with the midfielder on the opposite wing. Coaches have noted the extensive work rate he demonstrates on the field.
Personal Life
Family
Andriy Yarmolenko's wife, Inna, has a background in international relations and diplomacy and works as a director at an American charity foundation. They lived together for four years before officially getting married in October 2011. The wedding ceremony took place at the end of the football season on December 16, 2011. They have three sons: Ivan (born on May 22, 2013), Daniil (born on September 13, 2015), and Maksym (born on October 25, 2020).
