We must stick together - it's the only way to bring peace to Ukraine'

The big interview Oleskandr Zinchenko Arsenal full-back opens up on the pain of following the war from overseas and reflects on the belief instilled within him by Guardiola and Arteta

- Donald McRae

To become a professional football player from the place where I was born and raised was almost impossible. It was super, super tough," Oleksandr Zinchenko says as his eyes widen and we consider how far he has come from his small home town of Radomyshl in northern Ukraine.

"We didn't have many facilities and we trained only twice a week, for one game, and this is not the way to become a professional. It was a pure joy to play and train with my local team but I was always wanting more. My mother said she saw the fire in my eyes to make it."

We sit in a light and airy room on a beautiful autumn afternoon in Hampstead. In Ukraine, as a devastating war grinds on, winter will be another brutal test. Zinchenko picks up his phone. "This morning my aunt sent me a video,” he says. "She has been working in a nursery for more than 30 years. The video shows where she was hiding in the shelter from 7.30 until 10.30 because there was a siren. Working with kids, she cannot take any risk."

The Arsenal defender and Ukraine captain cannot shake the war from his mind. His mother still lives in Radomyshl and he confirms that "all my family are in Ukraine". Zinchenko, who is 27, pauses. "But I think I'm more helpful talking here than over there. You have footballers playing in the Ukrainian league and there is suddenly a siren. All of them need to hide in the shelter. I'm showing these videos to my [Arsenal] teammates and they can't believe we are living this life. It's crazy."