Kristian Shevchenko, the son of Ballon d’Or winner and Ukraine legend Andriy Shevchenko, has signed for seventh-tier club Sholing FC.
The 19-year-old joins the Boatmen on a permanent deal after spells in the academies at Chelsea, Tottenham and Watford. He was most recently with Championship side Watford, where he played for the under-21 team, but was released in May.
Southampton-based Sholing have notable names involved in the running of the club. Chelsea and England defender Levi Colwill serves as associate director and community ambassador, while Hull City’s Matt Targett also plays a role in the club’s growth — his younger brother Brad plays for the Southern League Premier Division South side.
Manager Paul Doswell said a recent shift in the club’s transfer strategy was behind the signing. “The move came from some of our coaching staff and their links in academy football,” he told BBC Radio Solent. “We spoke to Kristian last week and he’s very keen to be part of the model here and see if he can get in the team and progress his football career with us.”
Doswell set out the thinking behind that model: “We’ve got a real way forward that we’re going to sign the best young players that get released from pro clubs and give them a chance to play in non-league football. We’ll then hopefully improve them as they’re with us and get them back playing in the professional league.”
Kristian’s father Andriy is among the most prolific strikers of his generation. He played for AC Milan, Chelsea and Dynamo Kyiv before retiring in 2012, won the Champions League with Milan in 2003 and was awarded the Ballon d’Or in 2004.