CHERRY ZAB’S GOING HOME TO KYIV WARZONE

ILLYA ZABARNYI is heading back to the warzone of his home – as his Bournemouth team-mates head for the beach this summer.

The Ukraine defender has the club’s blessing to return to his besieged home city of Kyiv, despite the dangers posed by Russian missiles.

He will then link up with the Cherries again for pre-season training. The 20-year-old (with Jadon Sancho, left) said: “I am going back to Ukraine this summer. I want to see my family. After the last game (at Everton), I will go home.

“I miss my family, my friends and my city. I also want to play again for my national team.

“The club have supported me. They understand me and my situation.

“I speak with my family back home every day. I have many friends there the same age as me, who have stayed to defend Ukraine.

Everyone should support those guys back in Ukraine because we don’t want to give up our territory. We want to be in our own homes.”

Zabarnyi became Bournemouth’s second-most expensive signing when he moved from Dynamo Kyiv for £24million in January.

In the past 12 months, he failed to make the World Cup finals after losing a play-off final to Wales, adjusted to the stop-start continuation of the Ukranian league, and overcame injuries that delayed his Cherries debut until last month.

He added: “I was playing in the Ukrainian league when the Russians attacked and there were alarms, so we had to wait. It was a difficult year.

“Now, I am in a new country, in a nice, quiet city, playing in the best league in the world.

“A lot of players in Ukraine went away because they didn’t want to play in a country where there was war.

“We moved around a lot with the team, and sometimes we were travelling on a bus for 10 hours, so it was really difficult.

“Now, I want to become the best version of myself.”