West Ham's Yarmolenko thanks fans after emotional first goal since Ukraine war

Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko broke down in tears after setting West Ham on the way to a 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday. The 32-year-old, who had not featured in more than a month, scored the team's opening goal in 18 minutes after coming off the bench and went on to describe the pressure he has been under since Russia invaded his county.

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"It was so emotional for me. It is so difficult for me right now in this moment thinking about football because every day the Russian army kills Ukrainian people," Yarmolenko told Sky Sports in a post-match interview.

WATCH: Yarmolenko's post-match interview

The Ukrainian has been a peripheral presence at West Ham since he joined the Premier League club from Borussia Dortmund in 2018. However, his entry saw a resounding roar, and when he netted a clean finish past Villa's goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, Yarmolenko was surrounded by his West Ham teammates as he fell on his knees and broke down into tears.

"To be honest, I don't know what to say. I just want to say thank you to my teammates, who support me all the time, every day. To West Ham fans, they also support me and Ukrainian people, and also to all British people, because we feel you support us. Thank you, really," the emotional winger said.

"I felt the support from the fans, and I tried to give everything on the pitch because I know how important the game was for us today. I'm not ready for 100% because, in the last two weeks, I have trained maybe three or four times. Since 26 February, I had to rest for four days because it was impossible to train – I was just thinking about my family and my people. I just tried to give everything on the pitch," he concluded.

Following the win, West Ham boss David Moyes spoke about Yarmolenko's inclusion in the game given the situation in war-torn Ukraine. "He had time off as he was on the phone all the time, then he came in a little but three or four days over this period. He is grateful and appreciates the support. I spoke to him yesterday, and he has family members in Ukraine and family here. Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has been a big help to him regarding getting into Poland. So there has been a real team spirit, a real team effort behind the scenes."

Yarmolenko is likely to have a greater role to play for West Ham after Michail Antonio joined Jarrod Bowed on the injured list. "We have never doubted him as a footballer. He is really good, technically excellent and really pleased for him. The goal was important but the message more so," the West Ham manager added.

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