As a teenager banished to Kyiv by its parents, Never Mind the Bolsheviks often found itself in Shevchenko Park of a weekend, chasing women or getting into some other jolly jape.
The leafy public garden on the banks of the mighty Dnipro River doesnâÂÂt honour Andriy, itâÂÂs named in memory of another Shevchenko who endures godlike status in Ukraine â Taras, 19th-century nationalist poet whose statue broods over the capital.
Political doings in the park (NMTB not pictured)
However Andriy Shevchenko will surely be bestowed an equally grand memorial upon his retirement.
And NMTB can think of no better plan than hauling down the smug figure of Lenin who presides over the aptly-named Bulvar Shevchenko and replacing it with one of the countryâÂÂs most venerated footballers.
So, yes, the great man is back for a second spell at Dynamo Kyiv, the club where he earned a reputation as one of the continentâÂÂs most prolific strikers â and heâÂÂs already back among the goals.
When the Bilo-Syni were awarded a penalty against Metalurg Donetsk a couple of weekends ago, there was only ever going to be one contender to take it, and he subsequently slotted it home to help Dynamo to a 3-1 win.
Back with a bang: Sheva scores for Kyiv
NMTB had an inkling for some time (honest) that when he began to lose his way at Chelsea it wouldnâÂÂt be too long before the blog would soon seen Sheva once again slipping on the No.7 jersey for his favourite club.
Despite having a supermodel wife (who obviously picked up enough handbags in Milan and on the KingâÂÂs Road), heâÂÂs too honest and proud a fellow to check in and receive one final pay packet in the footballerâÂÂs retirement home that is the MLS.
Or, follow the money to somewhere like Bunyodkor in Uzbekistan, whom the blog introduced you to last week, and thereâÂÂs no better platform to silence your critics than in the Champions League.
Certainly he has nowt to prove in Ukraine, where some fans still wear Dynamo Kyiv shirts adorned with his name â and not just the parsimonious supporters who havenâÂÂt bought a new replica kit for a decade.
He was indubitably the first celebrity in a post-Soviet Ukraine, in what was then a grim country failing miserably to adjust politically, economically and socially after years of Russian domination.
The first coming - or is it Ian Brown?
To see Shevchenko performing so adroitly among EuropeâÂÂs elite brought an overwhelming sense of pride to Ukrainians and provided a fillip not only to DynamoâÂÂs fans, but to an entire population. And thatâÂÂs a lot of people (about 50-odd million back then).
But today he rejoins the Persha-Liga champions during a period of transition.
Yuri Semin â who masterminded that title triumph so adeptly with a free-flowing brand of attacking football that yielded a âÂÂgoals forâ tally of Barcelona proportions â has left to join the Russian club he served as player and manager, Lokomotiv Moscow.
Following him out of the exit door is Ismael Bangoura, who has made a big-money move across the Iron Curtain to continue his career at French club Stade Rennais. NMTB has no idea why, because he's certainly capable of doing a job for most teams in the Premier League.
Bangoura had an extremely productive season in front of goal and his pace and guile would have provided the perfect foil to a big and burly forward like Sheva.
But new gaffer Valeri Gazzayez, who doesnâÂÂt go by the sobriquet of âÂÂGazza,â will now look to the clubâÂÂs captain Artem Milevskiy to take up the mantle of the departing striker.
Sheva and Milevskiy (plus bonus arm) for Ukraine this month
Also leaving were the veteran pair of Maris Verpakovskis and Maksim Shatskikh, who over the last couple of years have appeared about as much for Dynamo as Shevchenko has for Chelsea and AC Milan.
They depart with a firm handshake, a painting of a spitfire (probably) and the thanks of DynamoâÂÂs chairman Igor Surkhis, who has gladly swapped them for Shevchenko.
So itâÂÂs out with the old and in with the new, and NMTB is predicting big things for another Artem â Artem Kravets, who fluttered around the fringes of the first team last season, always looking lively and giving a good account of himself.
HeâÂÂs a competent young forward who could well establish himself in the Ukrainian national squad if he stays fit.
At such a young age, heâÂÂs been unlucky enough to have suffered more international-weekend injuries than Ryan Giggs, or youâÂÂd probably be aware of him already.
But with the arrival of Sheva, heâÂÂs certain to receive some excellent tutorage, and heâÂÂll also benefit from another old boy from those halcyon days of the '90s, when Dynamo Kyiv reached the Champions League semi-finals.
ShevchenkoâÂÂs former striker partner Sergei Rebrov always appeared to play second fiddle to his close chum, in spite of accruing more goals during their Dynamo careers.
That always seemed a bit unfair to NMTB, who rather liked the chap and thought it was a tragedy that he flopped in the Premier League.
Sheva and Rebrov, last century
But now he is ShevaâÂÂs senior and is the new assistant manager at Dynamo as he begins his path into management.
And the blog reckons that even after this two-year deal for Shevchenko, it wonâÂÂt be the end of his association with the club and heâÂÂll probably cut a similar apprenticeship at Dynamo before eventually becoming the manager, although itâÂÂs always a risky business appointing a club legend as gaffer.
That is if he decides to continue in football upon his retirement.
He could (although itâÂÂs extremely unlikely) be one of those miserable ex-footballers who opens a sports bar and sits perched on the edge of the bar chirping up about his career to anyone whoâÂÂll listen.
But heâÂÂs not finished just yet, so keep an eye out for Andriy Shevchenko in the Champions League this season: he might just prove a few critics wrong.
----------------------------------------------
FourFourTwo.com: More to read...
Never Mind The Bolsheviks homeBlogs home
News home
Interviews home
Forums home
FourFourTwo.com home
