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Andriy Shevchenko’s iconic moments for AC Milan, Chelsea and Ukraine

Andriy Shevchenko, AC Milan, 2006

Once a feared striker for AC Milan, Chelsea and Dynamo Kyiv, Andriy Shevchenko has now turned to management where he has taken Ukraine further than they've ever been before.

With a Ballon D'or, multiple domestic titles, and a Champions League to his name, Shevchenko has undoubtedly cemented his name in the soccer history books.

Hailing from Ukraine, Shevchenko rose through the ranks at Dynamo Kyiv, where he quickly attracted the attention of Europe's elite, notably AC Milan.

At AC MilanShevchenko truly shone as one of the world's brightest talents, and went on to form a key part of one of the game's most successful sides.

While Shevchenko enjoyed immense success at club level, the Ukrainian striker also carried his form over to the national team, where he is now the manager.

With such a successful playing career, and an equally promising start to management, Shevchenko has delivered an abundance of iconic moments...

Hat-trick at Camp Nou

At an early age, Shevchenko showed an immediate interest in sport, eventually choosing to concentrate on soccer despite also boxing competitively during his childhood.

After catching the attention of a scout, Shevchenko was picked up by Dynamo Kyiv, where he spent seven years in the youth system before breaking through to the first team.

Shevchenko floated between the senior and second team for a few seasons before establishing himself in the 1997/98 season. He burst onto the scene with a Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona  - a feat only since matched by Kylian Mbappe.

Following his outstanding performance against Barcelona, Shevchenko went from strength to strength, scoring 19 goals in 23 matches the following season - including three against Real Madrid over two legs.

Shevchenko wasted no time bolstering his trophy cabinet, winning the Ukrainian league title in each of his five years with the first team.

Milan masterclass

Andriy Shevchenko, AC Milan, Serie A

After six goals in 10 Champions League matches, Europe's elite were battling it out for Shevchenko's signature, with Italian side AC Milan eventually sealing the deal.

Shevchenko signed for Milan for a reported fee of £25million - a record fee at the time. However, the striker didn't seem phased by the expectation, finishing as joint top-scorer in his first Serie A season with 24 goals.

Impressively, Shevchenko managed to repeat this feat the following season, again netting 24, including nine in the Champions League.

But Shevchenko's biggest moment of his career came in 2003 when his Milan side won the Champions League, with the Ukrainian striker scoring the winning penalty in a shootout against Italian rivals Juventus.

Ironically, Shevchenko struggled with injury throughout the Champions League-winning season, only scoring five goals throughout. But his conquest of Europe's biggest prize made him the first Ukrainian-born player to lift the trophy.

Ballon d'Or

Following his Champions League success, Shevchenko refused to take his foot off the gas, and once again finished top scorer in Serie A with another 24 goals, helping his side to their first league title in five years.

Furthermore, the Ukrainian talisman scored Milan's winner in the UEFA Super Cup against Porto, adding yet another trophy to his CV.

AC Milan capped off a superb season with a resounding win over Lazio in the Coppa Italia final, with Shevchenko netting a hat-trick in a 3-0 win.

With a treble under his belt already, Shevchenko was nominated for the 2004 Ballon D'or, and came out on top ahead of Deco and Ronaldinho, who finished second and third, respectively.

Shevchenko's Ballon D'or success made him the third Ukrainian to ever win the award alongside Oleg Blokhin (1975) and Igor Belanov (1986).

Heartbreak against Liverpool

After a flurry of success in 2004, Shevchenko looked set to add to his trophy cabinet the following season in the Champions League.

Milan easily topped their group ahead of Barcelona, Celtic and Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, before easing past Manchester United in the round of 16.

A 5-0 aggregate thumping of cross-city rivals Inter Milan followed in the quarter-finals. Shevchenko scored in the first leg alongside Jaap Stam to give his side a 2-0 lead, and scored early in the second leg before it was eventually abandoned due to flares on the pitch - AC Milan were handed a 3-0 win as a result.

Shevchenko again scored for his side in the semi-finals as Milan progressed via away goals following Massimo Ambrosini's injury-time strike.

In the final, AC Milan faced Liverpool, who had edged past Chelsea in the semi-finals. In a match that has gone down in folklore, Milan started brightly and led 3-0 at half-time thanks to Paolo Maldini's first-minute finish and a Hernan Crespo brace.

But Liverpool returned from the break a different side, and within 15 minutes found themselves level. Captain Steven Gerrard started the comeback before Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso swung the momentum their way.

Visibly shocked by the response, AC Milan struggled to reassert their dominance and the game went to a penalty shootout.

Serginho and Andrea Pirlo missed Milan's opening two penalties, meaning that when Shevchenko stepped up to take the fifth, he needed to score to keep Milan in the tie. A tame penalty was then sent down the throat of Jerzy Dudek to cap a remarkable comeback from the Reds and deny Shevchenko a second Champions League title.

Struggling in London

Andriy Shivchenko, Chelsea, 2008
In 2006, Shevchenko made the switch from Milan to London, signing for Chelsea for a record-breaking £30.8million.

Despite Jose Mourinho claiming he was a big fan of the striker, he deployed him sporadically during his three seasons at the club, preventing Shevchenko from building any real momentum.

He did score some crucial goals for Chelsea, including one against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to book the Blues a place in the 2006/07 FA Cup semi-final.

But often, Shevchenko struggled with injury, specifically in the same campaign when a hernia injury forced him to miss the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool and the FA Cup final against Manchester United.

Shevchenko was eventually loaned back to AC Milan in 2008, ending his tenure at Chelsea with 14 goals in 51 games.

Captain of Ukraine

Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine, Euro 2012

With 111 caps and 48 goals for his nation, Shevchenko is widely regarded as a legend throughout Ukraine.

Not for the lack of trying, Shevchenko and Ukraine struggled to qualify for any major tournaments. Their 1998 World Cup qualification ended after a play-off defeat to Croatia, who went on to finish third in the tournament.

In a similar fashion, Ukraine made the play-offs for Euro 2000 qualification, but again fell to a defeat, this time at the hands of Slovenia.

Finally, in 2006, with Shevchenko scoring six goals in qualification, Ukraine gained their ticket to the World Cup - their first ever major tournament.

Shevchenko was handed the captain's armband ahead of their campaign, and scored Ukraine's first major tournament goal in a 4-0 defeat of Saudi Arabia in the group stages.
Shevchenko then scored the winner against Tunisia from the penalty spot to progress his side to the knockout stages.

In the following round, Ukraine progressed again via a penalty shootout against Switzerland, despite Shevchenko missing. Ukraine's campaign was then brought to an end in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Italy.

Shevchenko also represented his country in Euro 2012, a tournament hosted by his native Ukraine.

Despite scoring twice in the opener against Sweden, Shevchenko's Ukraine bowed out in the group stages, and he subsequently announced his retirement.

Euro 2020 success

After hanging up his boots, Shevchenko took up coaching, initially becoming the assistant manager of Ukraine before taking over the reins himself in 2016, following his country's exit from the European Championships.

In the qualification stages of Euro 2020, Shevchenko spectacularly led his side to a 2-1 victory over reigning European champions Portugal to earn his side a spot in the finals.

In the tournament itself, Ukraine qualified for the knockout stages despite finishing third in their group behind Austria and the Netherlands.

Pitted against Sweden in the round of 16, Ukraine took a first-half lead through Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko. Emil Forsberg equalised before the break and with no further goals the game went into extra time.

With the game still 1-1 half-way through extra time, Shevchenko bravely substituted West Ham United forward Andriy Yarmolenko, replacing him with a young striker earning just his third cap, Artem Dovbyk.

Dovbyk justified Shevchenko's faith in him in spectacular fashion, scoring the winner in the first minute of injury time to hand Ukraine a place in the quarter-finals, the furthest the nation has ever ventured in the competition.

Now a date with England awaits and a chance for retribution following Shevchenko's ill-fated three-year spell in the country.

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