Mykhailo Mudryk: Ukraine's Speedster Eyes Euro Glory

Mykhailo Mudryk, Ukraine's speedy winger, aims to bring his recent improved form with Chelsea to the Euro 2024. Despite initial struggles at the Premier League club, Mudryk has shown promise, scoring crucial goals for both Chelsea and Ukraine. His maturity and on-field chemistry with Artem Dovbyk could be vital for Ukraine's success.

Ukraine want their winger Mykhailo Mudryk to come to the Euros with his improved form of the final weeks of the season at Premier League club Chelsea and not the inconsistency that has dogged most of his year and a half in London.

While Mudryk can speed through any defence with his blistering pace, many Chelsea fans have been left hopping with frustration that he often then fails to pick the right pass or show the ruthlessness to turn his chances into goals. Signed in January 2023 from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal valued at 100 million euros ($108.56 million) after he scored three goals and grabbed two assists in the Champions League group stage, Mudryk has struggled to justify Chelsea's big investment in him.

His troubles at Chelsea have come to epitomise the halting progress of the club's expensive but still young squad. However, there have been encouraging signs recently that the 23-year-old might be hitting form just in time to help Ukraine in their first major tournament since Russia's full-scale military invasion.

After being on the bench for much of the season, Mudryk started for Chelsea in nine of their last 11 league games, coinciding with a marked improvement for the west London club. He scored his fifth league goal of the season in a 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest on May 11 with a typical burst of speed followed by a clinical finish.

For Ukraine, he scored the winning goal -- only his second for the national team -- in the Euro playoff decider against Iceland on March 26 when he swept in a shot from just outside the box in the 84th minute for a 2-1 comeback win. "I have noticed that he is more mature," Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino said a few days later. "I have noticed that he is a good example of a player who needs time to improve to be more mature and realise where they are."

In Germany, as well as scoring goals, he will be hoping to act as a provider for Artem Dovbyk, the spearhead of Ukraine's attack, who was the top scorer in Spain's LaLiga this season with 24 goals in 36 games. Ukraine will face Belgium, Romania and Slovakia in Group E. ($1 = 0.9211 euros)

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