Newspaper columnist blown away by transformation of Vitaly Mykolenko at Everton
Mirror columnist Brian Reade is blown away by the transformation Vitaly Mykolenko has undergone in his first few months at Everton.
Mykolenko, 22, didn’t enjoy the best of starts after joining the Blues from Dynamo Kyiv on 1 January but the left-back’s form has since improved massively.
A bout of COVID-19 didnt help the Ukraine international, who Reade feels was under a lot of pressure to hit the ground running on Merseyside but has since shown his true mental strength.
Writing in his latest column for The Mirror [April 14, page 55], Reade said: “Any Vitaly Mykolenko. When he arrived under Rafa Benitez in January at a cost of £17million, which saw fans’ favourite Lucas Digne shipped out to Aston Villa, the pressure on him was huge. Especially when he struggled badly in a side that was sinking towards the relegation zone.
“But the Ukranian has worked hard, adjusted to the Premier League and his quality is showing through.
“Showing such mental strength when your homeland is being ripped apart in a brutal war bodes well for the 22-year-old and for Everton.”
Brilliant young man
Mykolenko is only 22-years-old and is just over three months in his first spell playing football away from Ukraine.
In that time, he’s seen the manager who signed him sacked, missed games due to COVID, been criticised for his performances and his country has been invaded by Russia.
He’s been through a lot but despite all of this, the left-back is waving the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine with pride and is giving the people of his country ever reason to be proud of him.
Of course, there’s a world of difference between what’s happening on a football pitch on Merseyside to the horrors that we’re seeing in the news from Ukraine.
Mykolenko is no doubt haunted by the tragedies that are occuring every day in his home nation.
And amid all this, he’s been brilliant and we’re really proud to have a young man of his maturity and strength in our squad.
Keep up the stellar work, Vitaly.
In other Everton news, a Super Computer has made a new relegation prediction for the Blues after Burnley’s defeat at Norwich.
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