Russian great Valery Gazzayev says West Ham United midfielder Andrey Yarmolenko has failed to live up to his potential due to the lack of a defensive game.
Yarmolenko is in his second season at the Hammers, where his time in London has been dominated by injury. He arrived in the summer of 2018 from Borussia Dortmund, though worked with Gazzayev at Dynamo Kiev.
Former USSR striker Gazzayev played and coached Dynamo Moscow, along with having a year in charge of the Russian national team. He also had 12 months in charge of Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine where he came in contact with Yarmolenko.
Gazzayev told Sport-Express: “Football players must have all the relevant skills.
"I recall one more example from my own practice. When I headed Dynamo Kiev, I put Yarmolenko in the first training camp as a deep defender. I saw in him the good attacking qualities of a strong flank striker, although at that time Yarmolenko was considered a centre-forward. And it was important for me the football player mastered the defensive skills that the extreme striker needed.
"Yarmolenko himself, I remember, expressed bewilderment: 'Valery you're probably mixed up, I'm a striker!' I answered in an astonished look: 'What are you?!'
"But in fact I needed him to feel what a game is in defence and how to perform defensive functions. I can say that if Yarmolenko had as strong defensive skills as attacking, he would become a world superstar."
Yarmolenko spent nine years with Dynamo, where he played over 200 games. Now 30, the free-scoring attacking midfielder is tied to West Ham until 2022.
The forward has returned to action this season after recovering from a serious Achilles injury suffered last term. Yarmolenko started in Saturday's defeat at home to Tottenham.
- updated November 25
