Legendary former professional footballer, highly celebrated coach, and proud Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko highlights the power of self-motivation, hard work, and discipline when it comes to accomplishing something extraordinary. Every day is a chance to improve, and it was this inner desire, this inner voice, that drove him to greatness.
Born in 1976, Shevchenko was just a child when the Chernobyl disaster struck. His life changed in the space of 24 hours when all the children were sent away, separated from their parents. It was an incredibly challenging time but despite this, his passion for football provided a crucial outlet, something else to focus on. A moment in time that began to lay the foundations for his football career.
Navigating the competitive and demanding environment of the youth team, Shevchenko’s talent quickly became evident, but still there were people who told him he couldn’t do it; tried to knock his confidence, put him down. But he stayed strong. He never gave up, and in 1994 he made his first professional debut with Dynamo Kyiv, quickly establishing himself as a prolific goal scorer.
Andriy’s achievements both as a footballer and coach truly cement him as one of the greats. During his time with AC Milan, he won the Serie A title, the UEFA Champions League, and the prestigious Ballon d’Or in 2004. As head coach of the Ukrainian national team, he led them to the UEFA Euro 2020 quarter-finals, their best performance in the tournament's history. For Andriy though with every achievement came a new target, a new goal to focus on. He never stopped thinking about how he could improve.
Now an Ambassador for Ukrainian charity UNITED24, he continues to represent Ukraine on an international stage. He has such huge pride for his country, its people, and their resistance. They are unbreakable. They are strong. And they will continue to fight for the existence of Ukraine.
