MY FIGHT TO HELP YOUNG REFUGEES

Ex-Chelsea striker’s mental health mission

ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO has paid tribute to Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko for continuing to speak out against Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Shevchenko, 45, has been working with Arsenal’s new £30million signing (below) to raise money for the war effort in their homeland.

Zinchenko has spoken out several times to condemn Russia’s aggression – and Shevchenko believes sport can play a role in helping to restore the peace.

He said: “Oleks has stood up, he has spoken out and expressed his very hard views against the war.

“He loves Ukraine and the people, and we have done a lot of activities together.

“We have been involved in fundraising activities. Oleks is very generous and he is giving a lot to the Ukrainian people.”

Shevchenko, the former Chelsea striker who won the Ballon d’Or in 2004, has been in Poland visiting Save the Children summer schools that are helping displaced kids from Ukraine to catch up with missed education.

The schools provide a safe haven for youngsters aged from six to 18 and run a TeamUp initiative that helps kids deal with the negative emotions and stress triggered by the war.

Shevchenko, who is an ambassador for Laureus Sport, said: “Nearly three million children from Ukraine have been forced to flee their homes in the past five months as a result of the conflict.

“The physical impact of the war is clear to see, but we cannot forget about the psychological impact on these young people. It is not enough to take a child out of the war. We need to take the war out of children.

“Sport has an incredible power to break down barriers and create hope in times of despair.

“I’m proud and thankful that Laureus is supporting initiatives like this, working with War Child and Save the Children, to help these children and their families.” ■■Andriy Shevchenko is an ambassador for Laureus Sport for Good, a global charity that uses the power of sport to transform the lives of children and young people.