Andriy Shevchenko was born in the Kiev regional town of Yagotyn and until 1979 lived in Dvirkivschina before moving to the newly-built housing district of Obolon in Kiev.Andriy started playing football at school and then joined a team organised by the housing association and coached by a woman. At just nine-years-old, he was spotted by Dynamo scout Alexandr Shpakov, during a school tournament, who took him to Kiev where he played in the junior side.His parents were not too keen at first and Andriy’s father Nikolay wanted the youngster to follow him into the military when he finished school. Andriy was also hindered by the fact he had to travel right across the city to go training, but with Shpakov’s support he persisted and football became his life.The Chernobyl nuclear disaster meant an end to training for a time. In the spring of 1986, Andriy became one of the numerous youngsters to transfer to a school away from the disaster zone. After two months, Andriy returned to Kiev and back to playing in Shpakov’s side who Alexandr Lysenko was to coach in 1992.In August 1991, Andriy’s side became the last winner of the USSR junior championship - a competition for boys born in 1976. Sheva started out at in a more defensive role and in 1990 the young Dynamo team won the Ian Rush Cup in Wales. Andriy made his mark as the top scorer in the tournament and received a pair of boots from the famous striker. Meanwhile, a visit to the San Siro fired his dream to play for Milan but before that came true there was plenty to win with Dynamo Kiev.
In the spring of 1992, ShevHe made his Champions League debut at Spartak Moscow on November 23, 1994 where he replaced Rebrov on 57 minutes. His first league goal came on December 1 in a 4-2 win over Dnipro and his first Champions League goal came on December 7, 1994 against Bayern Munich in a match Dynamo lost 4-1.His full international debut came on March 25, 1995 against Croatia and Andriy’s first international goal followed on March 1, 1996 in a friendly against Turkey. The 1995-96 season saw him become a Dynamo regular but a UEFA ban kept the team out of the Champions League and on the eve of the preliminary round the following year, Sheva suffered a meniscus problem and Dynamo were eliminated.However, the club’s problems led to the return of Valeri Lobanovsky - the legendary coach who had taken Dynamo to international success in 1975 and 1986. The success was instant as Barcelona were defeated twice in the Champions League, with Sheva becoming the first Ukrainian player to score a hat-trick in the competition in a 4-1 win at the Nou Camp on the birthday of the famous Dynamo striker Oleg Blokhin.
The youngster was coming to the attention of the top sides in Europe and his price tag was reaching $20million as in the 1998-99 season he scored in both games against French side Lens and a penalty against Arsenal to take Dynamo to the top of their group. In the quarter-finals, Sheva scored three goals in the two legs against Real Madrid and twice in the semi-final against Bayern Munich but that German character and a slice of good fortune saw the Bavarian side through.However, there was no turning back for Sheva as he moved to Milan on July 1, 1999 to be acclaimed as the new ’Marco Van Basten’. With a $25million transfer price, Milan broke their all-time transfer fee record to take Shevchenko to Italy.
Coach Alberto Zaccheroni was presented with a player already on top of his game and sure enough he scored on his serie A debut at Lecce.The 1999-2000 season ended with Sheva finishing as the league’s top scorer - the first foreigner to do so in his debut season, with 24 goals in 32 games.In 1999 and 2000 he finished third in the France Football European Player of the Year Award.chenko moved up to Dynamo 2 (Dynamo Kiev’s second team) where he came under the guidance of Vladimir Onishenko. The following season, he was the side’s top scorer with 12 goals. On April 26, 1994, Andriy came to a wider audience in a televised international junior game between Ukraine and Holland. He scored in a 2-2 draw and put in an eye-catching display. He made his senior first-team debut on November 8, 1994 against Shakhtar Donetsk when he came on for Gishkariani in the 54th minute. This had already made his international Under-21 debut on October 11 against Slovenia.This led to other top European sides seeking his services and in 2001 it was rumoured in Italian sports newspaper ’Tuttosport’ that Real Madrid had offered $90million. Those rumours died off as Sheva scored against Real in the Champions League in November 2002.This goal is considered to have relaunched Milan once again as was the goal in the semi-final against Inter and the winning penalty in the final at Manchester on May 2003. With the sides level after extra-time, it was left to Sheva to coolly score the decisive goal in the penalty shoot-out.Sheva took the trophy back to Kiev and presented it to the waiting crowds tellingly at the Lobanovsky monument as a show of his gratitude to his old tutor. The goals kept coming as another two brought Milan the European Super Cup against Porto. Milan then went on to win the Serie A title for the first time with Sheva in the side.He also finished the league’s top scorer and netted three times against closest title rivals Roma. He started the next season in the same way, with a hat-trick in the Italian Super Cup against Lazio.
2004 was a success all round as he became the third Ukrainian footballer, after Oleg Blokhin and Igor Belanov to win the France Football European Player of the Year Award. Andriy, of course, dedicated the title to the people of Ukraine.However, 2004 was to become an important year in Andriy’s private life as he married American model Kristen Pazik on July 14 in Washington. The ceremony took place at a local golf course and then on October 29, he became a father when Kristen gave birth to Jordan Andriy Shevchenko. Milan president Silvio Berlusconi would become the child’s godfather.August 2005 saw Sheva named the ’Golden Foot’, an award established by the World Champions Club magazine and top Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport and voted online for the best player in the world.
Andriy’s international dreams came true on September 3, 2005 when Ukraine qualified for the World Cup for the first time. They had come close on three occasions but had been eliminated in the play-offs, to Croatia in 1997, Slovenia in 1999 and Germany in 2001.However, under the guidance of coach Oleg Blokhin, Sheva and his team-mates finished ahead of Turkey, Greece, Denmark, Albania, Georgia and Kazakhstan to qualify automatically, with Sheva finishing top scorer.Sheva was instrumental for AC Milan during the 2005/06 season, often replacing Maldini as captain, as he led the team in goals scoring 19 Serie A goals in 28 games. His goals in the league helped Milan finish second behind Juventus but also saw him overtake legendary Milan number 10 Gianni Rivera to take 2nd place in the Milan all time goalscoring charts. On 8 February 2006, Sheva scored twice in a 5-0 win against Treviso at the San Siro, netting his 164th and 165th goal for Milan, leaving only legendary Swedish forward Gunnar Nordahl, who played for Milan between 1949-1956, ahead of him with 221 goals.
In the Champions League, Andriy top scored in the competition with nine goals in 12 games, including all four goals in Milan's 4-0 win away against Fenerbahçe SK. They lost in the semi final to eventual winners Barcelona, despite Sheva having what looked to be a perfectly legitimate goal ruled off at the Camp Nou. His season tally saw him gain on Real Madrid striker Raul at the top of the Champions League all-time scoring charts - at the end of the season he had European Cup 52 goals.
Following mounting speculation Sheva transferred to English club side Chelsea on May 31 2006, signing a four year contract in a deal worth £30 million, the fifth largest transfer in world football. On joining Chelsea Andriy said, "I am here for the challenge and the excitement of the Premier League. I am going from one big club to another and joining a team of champions. There is a right moment to join a football club and I think I have arrived here at the perfect time."
The 2006 FIFA World Cup presented Andriy with one of the highlights of his career.
Ukraine qualified from Group 2 containing not only reigning European champions Greece, but also Turkey who finished third at the last FIFA World Cup and perennial tournament qualifiers, Denmark. Despite the tough opposition, the Ukraine finished top of the Group with 25 points, winning six consecutive games including away wins in Greece and Turkey.
Sheva was top scorer for Ukraine and one of the most prolific in the European zone with six goals - helping the Ukraine reach their first major international tournament since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In the Finals, Ukraine were drawn in Group H against Spain, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. But first Sheva had to return from knee ligament injury which he sustained against Parma in May just before the Finals.
Andriy was declared fit before the World Cup and lined up as captain in the Ukraine's first-ever World Cup Finals game against Spain in Leipzig. Unfortunately, Sheva's return was not enough to help avoid losing 4-0 to one of the favourites for the World Cup.
Sheva and the team returned stronger in their next two games against Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. In the heat of Hamburg the Ukraine reversed their first round score to win 4-0 with goals from Andriy Rusol, Serhiy Rebrov, Shevchenko and Kalinichenko sealing a debut win. Rusol scored with just 4 minutes played diverting a corner from the right into the goal before shortly after Andriy had a header cleared off the line from another corner. On 36 minutes Rebrov scored one of the goals of the tournament as a fired a curling shot from 30 yards.
Just after the re-start Sheva scored his first World Cup goal. Kalinichenko swung a free-kick from the left into the box and Shevchenko beat his marker to head into the far corner. Andriy was mobbed by team-mates wanting to celebrate his historic goal. In the 84th minute Sheva drove into the box challenged by 3 players before squaring the ball to Kalinichenko to slot home into a empty net.
Ukraine now had 3 points and could guarantee qualification from the Group with victory against Tunisia in Berlin. Just before half-time Tunisia number 5 Jaziri was sent off for a second bookable offence. In the second half Ukraine were able to press home their one man advantage and took the lead through Sheva in the 70th minute when a defensive mix-up allowed Andriy to get goal side in the box where he was fouled. Sheva stood up and brushed himself down to score the penalty himself, placing the ball to the right hand side of the goal.
With two wins the Ukraine qualified for the second round and played Switzerland in Cologne. The game was packed with tension as both teams battled to avoid elimination. Andriy hit the bar with a diving header in the first half and minutes later Switzerland did likewise from a free kick, as the game reached the later stages of normal time Sheva fizzed a shot just past the post with the Swiss goalkeeper motionless before Gusin saw a header from a corner flash past the post. The game was destined to finish in a penalty shoot out and Switzerland failed in all 4 of their attempts as Ukraine won 3-0.
The quarter-finals pitched Ukraine vs Italy in Hamburg. Italy proved too strong as goals from Zambrotta and Luca Toni (2), it might have been different, at 1-0 Ukraine had two shots cleared off the line. After the game Sheva reflected, "It would've been difficult for us to draw tonight, never mind win. We faced a very good Italy team who deserved to win. They exploited the opportunities created by their star players. We played well, we attacked a lot and did everything in our power. We played with a lot of courage. To win you need to give everything and be lucky. We were unlucky this evening."
