Oleksandr Zinchenko is a Ukrainian professional footballer who currently plays as a left-back for Premier League club Arsenal and the Ukraine national team. He was born on December 15, 1996, in Radomyshl, Ukraine.
He began playing football at a young age and joined the youth academy of Shakhtar Donetsk when he was just six years old. In 2014, Zinchenko moved to Russia to play for FC Ufa. He made his professional debut for the club in July of that year and went on to make 31 appearances for the team over two seasons.
In 2016, he signed for Manchester City for a reported fee of £1.7m, but was initially loaned out to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven for the 2016-17 season. He helped PSV win the Eredivisie title that season, making 20 appearances and scoring twice.
Zinchenko returned to Manchester City in 2017 and impressed Pep Guardiola with his versatility and ball-playing attributes. He racked up 128 appearances for the Manchester giants in all competitions, playing primarily as a left-back but also occasionally filling in as a midfielder.
Zinchenko won numerous trophies with Manchester City, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and four League Cups. He also helped the team reach the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2021-22, although they were defeated by Chelsea. However, he was limited to a bit-part role towards the end of his City career.
The Ukrainian defender left the Sky Blues in search of regular playing time in the summer of 2022. Due to his wealth of experience, technical ability, and versatility, Arsenal didn't think twice about spending £35m to lure him away from the Etihad Stadium.
He has been nothing short of remarkable since reuniting with head coach Mikel Arteta at the Emirates, and has helped transform the way the Gunners play, leading their charge in an engrossing Premier League title-race against his former club, Manchester City.
The 26-year-old is also a mainstay leader at the Ukrainian national team. He made his debut for the team in 2015 and has since earned over 50 caps. He played a key role in helping Ukraine reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Euro 2020, scoring a crucial goal in the team's round of 16 win over Sweden.
However, defeat against Wales in the qualifying playoff meant Zinchenko and his international teammates fell short of making it to the Qatar World Cup.
Needless to say, Zinchenko has obviously enjoyed a trophy-laden football career so far, but what are some of the fun facts you absolutely have to know about the defender?
