OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO is set to fulfil his dream of playing under Arsene Wenger at the Game 4 Ukraine.
The charity event will take place on August 5 to raise money for the reconstruction of the Mykhailo-Kotsiubynsky School in Chernihiv Oblast after it was destroyed by missiles.
AFPOleksandr Zinchenko revealed he almost joined Arsenal aged 17[/caption]
AFPZinchenko is looking forward to playing under Arsene Wenger[/caption]
Zinchenko, 26, will captain one team with former Ukraine captain and manager Andriy Shevchenko skippering the other side.
Wenger will manage Zinchenko – providing the Arsenal star with the chance to finally play under the iconic manager.
The defender dreamed of playing for the Gunners and Wenger as a child – which almost became a reality when he was 17.
That deal collapsed but Zinchenko finally reached his goal eight years later when he signed for Mikel Arteta’s side last summer.
Now the Ukrainian is set to achieve his other dream of playing under Wenger and he is grateful the former Gunners boss has signed up for the exhibition match.
He told talkSPORT: “It’s incredible. I’d like to say a massive thanks to him that he was going to join us.
“My boyhood dream was to be an Arsenal player and that after watching Arsenal with Arsene Wenger, Arsenal was the team where I wanted to be since I was a kid and using this opportunity he will be my manager.
“I had the opportunity to join Arsenal when I was 17, but eventually it happened, just a bit later!
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“A few months ago he [Wenger] came to one of the games at the Emirates and we spoke about football and the rumours about myself and Arsenal. I asked him if it was true and he said ‘yes it was’.
“He’s a living legend here and around the world so it’s going to be a massive pleasure to see him again.
“Everyone around the football world respects him a lot and they’re going to see that he’s supporting Ukraine, supporting the idea and they will follow him which is great.”