Andriy Yarmolenko found it difficult to deal with those serious injury problems during his spell at Premier League giants West Ham United, the Ukraine international’s wife tells Anna Rebrova’s YouTube channel.
Now, long-term injuries are never easy to accept.
But, for Yarmolenko, the Achilles tendon rupture he suffered back in October 2018 felt particularly unfortunate. The former Borussia Dortmund winger had, after all, completed a £17 million move to West Ham only a few months previously.
He started strongly at the London Stadium too. There was a match-winning brace against Everton, and an assist in a 3-1 triumph over Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.
Yarmolenko’s debut season in the English capital came to a premature conclusion, however; stretchered off just 40 minutes into a 1-0 defeat by local rivals Tottenham on October 10th.
Ukraine legend Andriy Yarmolenko now at Al-Ain after leaving West Ham United
“In general, I believe injuries are the most difficult aspect of a player’s life,” explains Inna Yarmolenko, the 33-year-old’s partner.
“There can be good games, there can be bad games. But when you don’t play, you have no chance. You’re just recovering, you’re not with the team. It is always difficult.
“And Andriy had a rather serious injury for almost a year. Psychologically, for him, it was a big blow. He had just moved to a strong league, everything worked out for him, (and then) the most difficult injury of his life.
“My children and I tried to support him as much as we could, so that it was a little easier for him.”
Yarmolenko, despite returning in time for the beginning of the 2019/20 season, would start only 12 more Premier League matches before his West Ham contract expired last summer.
Yarmolenko was briefly tipped to make the short trip across London to Fulham’s Craven Cottage, before eventually joining Middle Eastern outfit Al Ain on a free transfer.
‘I missed the game’
“I want to play and enjoy football,” the Dynamo Kiev legend said during his final few weeks at West Ham. “In the last two or three years, I haven’t played as much as I wanted. I missed the game every week.
“I signed a four-year contract with an option to extend for another one. A year ago, it was clear that West Ham would not use this option because it it’s big contract, and I do not play as much as a player who earns such money should.
“I’m also dissatisfied with my playing time. I want to play more, so I didn’t really want to extend my contract. For the London club, this is also, I think, not a very profitable deal.”
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