Everton ace Vitaliy Mykolenko hailed Seamus Coleman for leading the way on and off the pitch as the Toffees’ dodged the drop.
In the Polish city Lodz tomorrow night, the left-back will play for Ukraine against Ireland in the final Nations League game of this quick-fire window.
But Coleman won’t face his clubmate having been forced to withdraw from the Irish squad before Saturday’s win over Scotland with a groin injury.
But Mykolenko has thanked the Everton skipper for helping him bed into life at the Premier League club since his move from Dynamo Kiev at the start of the year.
“He’s a great person and a great captain,” said the 23-year-old this evening.
“The first time I met him was on December 31 at the training ground. New Year’s Eve is a big celebration for all Ukrainian people but I was on my own in the hotel.
“He wrote a message to me to say that he would always be there for me if I needed anything - and for the last five months of the season he always was.”
But while thrilled to preserve the club’s top flight status, Mykolenko admits it all pails into insignificance because of the situation in war-torn Ukraine.
“Before the war, I thought my own problems were big but now I realise they are very small. Since the war started, I only think about the team and my country,” he said.
“I feel good now, but if the team was playing in Ukraine it would be much better for all of us.
“My parents are still in Kiev and I keep in touch with them. I’ve friends and relatives in lots of different places too and try to keep in touch but it’s not always possible.
“But thank God they are all staying safe for now and I want to play for my national team and support my country in these hard times.”
Ukraine fielded a second string side when they beat Ireland 1-0 at Aviva Stadium last week, and are expected to ring the changes tomorrow.
But manager Oleksandr Petrakov still has a number of concerns over some key players after a bug went through the camp.
Oleksandr Zubkov has a fever and could miss out but West Ham’s Andriy Yarmolenko - the Ukraine captain - should be available after a high temperature.
Roman Yaremchuk requires an MRI scan in hospital on a shin injury and Eduard Sobol and Denys Popov will be checked after clashing heads in training
“It is hard (playing four games in quick succession), but this is our work and it’s for the soldiers at home,” said Ukraine boss Petrokov.
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