West Ham’s players have rallied together in a show of support for team-mate Andriy Yarmolenko ahead of their Premier League match against Wolves, after he was granted compassionate leave following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Yarmolenko, the captain of Ukraine’s football team, has been granted compassionate leave by his club to help him take time to come to terms with the devastating turn of events, and members of his family have been caught up in the crisis.
The war has left the 32-year-old in a bad place, according to his manager David Moyes, who accepted his request for time away from football and said he hopes his family are able to stay safe.
Absent for today’s game, Yarmolenko was treated to a touching display from the Hammers‘ squad. For their warm-ups at the London Stadium, they adorned shirts with his name and number emblazoned on the back.
Their opponents Wolves, meanwhile, put on a united front against the conflict.
For their own pre-match preparations, the visitors sported jet black tops with the words ‘No to war’ written across them in large lettering.
Ahead of kick-off, West Ham midfielder Declan Rice held up Yarmolenko’s shirt, a gesture which received a warm reception from the crowd.
Forward Yarmolenko has won 106 caps in total on the international stage.
West Ham’s players wore Andriy Yarmolenko shirts after the invasion of his native Ukraine
Yarmolenko has been granted compassionate leave, and his team-mates put on a show of unity
It remains to be seen when he will return to training at their Rush Green base, with Moyes describing his time away as a ‘few days’ ahead of the weekend.
West Ham have asked him how they can help him and his family as the war unfolds.
‘I spoke with him yesterday (Thursday) at training and he was upset as you can imagine and rightly so,’ Moyes said. ‘We just hope that everything goes well and all his family members and close family keep safe.
‘He is not in a really good position at the moment, I have to say. We have given him a few days off. It is very difficult.
Wolves’ players also stood together against the crisis, having worn black ‘No To War’ t-shirts
Declan Rice held up a shirt with Yarmolenko’s name emblazoned on the back ahead of kick-off
‘The club have asked me to ask him if there is anything we can do for him and if we can, we will certainly help him.
‘He has asked me if he can have a few days off and I have granted him that. It is a really difficult time for him and his family and we respect that.’
Yarmolenko joined his current club in 2018, having signed in a £17.5million move from Borussia Dortmund.
He has also spoken out against the war in his country on social media.
David Moyes granted forward Yarmolenko time off and said he hopes his family remain safe
‘I call on every Ukrainian to unite, to show his loyalty to the country, to support our army,’ he wrote on Instagram.
‘Our strength is freedom, the right to choose, respect and human values.
‘Our choice is European Ukraine. We are a strong nation, we are on our land and the truth is behind us.’
