Vitalii Mykolenko has revealed the kind-hearted gesture of Seamus Coleman that helped him settle in at Everton following a January transfer move from Dynamo Kyiv.
The Ukrainian defender joined the Blues at a difficult time, with the club in the middle of a relegation battle, though the 23-year-old was one of the first-team players who helped Frank Lampard's side to safety as the group rallied.
It should come as no surprise Coleman was one of the individuals who went out of his way to offer the new recruit a warm welcome, a story Mykolenko has now shared while away on international duty..
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Ukraine are in UEFA Nations League action against the Republic of Ireland this evening, though the two Everton full-backs will not go head-to-head as Coleman has been ruled out of the game due to a groin injury.
"I will tell a short history,” began Mykolenko. “On December 31, I met this person (Coleman) on the first day of training. New Year’s Eve is for all Ukrainians a really great day to celebrate but I was all alone in the hotel. Seamus wrote to me a message, stating: 'I will always be there for you and if you need some help, just write to me and I will be there'.”
Focusing on football will have been a difficult task for the Ukraine international since making the move to Goodison Park, with Russia seizing control of his home country and killing thousands of civilians under the orders of president Vladimir Putin. Mykolenko's parents have decided not to flee Ukraine but he remains in contact with them as the situation continues to worsen.
“My parents are staying in Kyiv and we keep in touch with them. It is not always possible to be in contact with my friends and relatives in other places of the country. Thank God, they are safe now," he said.
