'You good, son?' Mykolenko admits struggle to understand accent at Everton | OneFootball

Vitalii Mykolenko admits his struggles to understand accents in Liverpool, but that hasn’t dampened his love for Everton.

“The Scouse accent? Woah! It’s the same in the east of Ukraine,” the 23-year-old admitted to the club’s website.

“I am Ukrainian, I can speak in Ukrainian and Russian but when I go to the east of Ukraine the accent is so strong and they have different words for things… It’s similar in Scouse.

“The main way I’ve improved, as well as being around my teammates, is by watching Netflix.

“I try to watch in English as much as I can but if I’m tired, I’ll watch in Ukrainian with English subtitles. When I do that, I find myself reading the English more than watching the shows, so that’s helped me a lot.

The youngster arrived in Merseyside in January 2022, and admits that certain similarities with home have helped him to adjust.

“I think the one thing that maybe helped me was coming from Dynamo Kyiv, a big club in Ukraine with a big culture, big fanbase and rich history, to a club in Everton with the same qualities.

“It made it a little bit easier in terms of what to expect and what comes with playing for a big club like this.

“I honestly believe football is like a religion in England. I think the difference is in Ukraine, most people are so focused on working every day because you need to make enough money to live.”

Mykolenko, who represented Ukraine at all youth levels before making a senior international debut in 2018, has developed a strong bond with the Goodison faithful.

“I love Everton. How can I not?” he admitted.

“It makes me very proud to represent this club, a big club.

“From the first day I arrived, everyone welcomed me with open arms. My mind was blown, to be honest. I remember walking around the training ground and everyone was welcoming me… ‘Alright, lad!’… ‘You good, son?’… It was a lot to take in but it meant everything to me.

“I love my teammates – every one of them – and all of the staff here. The fans, too. I think they have respect for me and I have incredible respect for them.

And it’s not just Goodison Park he enjoys, either.

“I like Liverpool as a city,” he continued.

“I like to go for a walk around the city sometimes and I enjoy the restaurants, too.

“Now it’s a little different but I liked in the first month or two I could walk around and nobody knew me.

“When my father visited me, we drove into the city centre to go to Everton Two in Liverpool One. It was a crazy feeling because as we entered the shop it felt like I’d just walked into my house where all my friends were waiting for me.

“Everyone welcomed me… ‘How’s it going, Myko?’… I’m quite a quiet guy and I like to keep myself to myself, so I love that they have that relationship with me but I also feel quite shy!

“My dad was completely shocked that everyone knew me, everyone knew my name and wanted to make sure I was okay.

“Of course, we’d spoken about what it was like but for him to see it for himself took him by surprise.

“He told me afterwards that it makes him very proud that I am part of such a big club and I think that gave him another glimpse of what sort of club Everton is.”