sport news England players in awe of Oleksandr Zinchenko amid the war in Ukraine trends now
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England players taking on Ukraine on Sunday are well versed in the struggles of that nation, not simply because the invasion of Russia is daily in the news but also because many of them have a personal connection in Oleksandr Zinchenko.
John Stones, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish all know him well from his time at Manchester City and Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale are now Arsenal team-mates. As such, they are aware of the enormity of the situation and the personal cost to Ukrainians.
Stones recalls the day of the invasion last year and the trauma that news brought for Zinchenko. ‘He is usually such a bubbly person, really happy,’ said Stones.
‘He wasn’t himself at all, he was very sad. It shocked us as a team. I never thought I would see this happen and I was upset for Zinner, definitely.
‘We were trying to speak to him and get him to kind of vent his feelings. He was always looking for what his family were doing that are still there and how he could help. And also spreading the word of how we could help people. It was a really difficult time, especially for him.
The England players in awe of Ukraine's Oleksandr Zinchenko and how he's dealt with the war
Former Man City teammate John Stones (Centre) has spoke of how the war effected Zinchenko and the support he received
Stones praised the Ukrainian's mental strength in dealing with the horrors of the war
I know he was out there on the streets in Manchester with a lot of his fellow countrymen that he could be with and support at that time. And
