Introduction:
Aleksandr Golovin was born in the same year Russia competed in their first European Championship – 1996, when Sbornaya finished dead last in their group after Germany, Czech Republic and Italy. The 20-year-old is the youngest of the eight CSKA Moscow players selected by club and national manager Leonid Slutsky, but he nevertheless has handy experience to transfer from his days in the national youth setup.
Strengths and weaknesses:
The boy from Southwestern Siberia was a member of Russia’s U-17 European Championship winning squad in 2013 and two years later represented the U-19 side at the 2015 UEFA European Championship, in which Russia were losing finalists. Dmitri Khomukha, former Russia Under-21 coach, hailed Golovin as Russia’s ‘key player’ at both youth tournaments, going as far as to rate the his dynamism on the pitch as being greater than that of Russia captain Roman Shirokov.
“His basic technique, passing and understanding of game situations – that was what marked him out from his peers. Players who can change the pace of the game and make a key pass have always been of major value in football,” Khomukha said.
Khomukha’s is an accurate assessment of his former charge. Golovin possesses beautiful close control, a skill refined during his youth days playing futsal.
The 2015/16 season:
Golovin made his senior CSKA debut in 2015 after only three years playing in the CSKA academy which he joined from lowly Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Although he made just eleven appearances for his club side in the 2015/16 season, he was part of the squad that won the Russian Premier League title and reached the Russian Cup Final.
By the time the tournament starts this weekend, almost exactly a year would have passed since his Sbornaya debut against Belarus last June. Golovin scored in that game, coming on as a substitute to net the second goal of a 4-2 victory, and has since added a further goal against Lithuania in March to make an impressive international tally of two in three caps.
He was also recently given a central midfield role in the 1-1 draw with Serbia. Chances for Golovin may become more frequent given that during the friendly match in Belgrade, Zenit midfielder Igor Denisov received an injury that will rule him out of contention. With Golovin’s teammate and role model Alan Dzagoev also out injured, it could be time for the young man to fill some big boots.
Although he has his work cut out to make the grade against more experienced opposition, he does have the advantage of having his capabilities thoroughly known by Slutsky, who has broken somewhat of an unwritten code in allowing the youthful Golovin in the side ahead of slightly more experienced competition in the 2015/16 season. It would seem that his senior run was a reward for an exemplary attitude.
“My goal is to settle at CSKA and represent the club for as long as I can; to become one of CSKA’s key performers and maybe spend my whole career here. I’m taking my lead from Igor Akinfeev,” the midfielder maturely told UEFA.com, who featured him on their ‘Wonderkid of the Week’ segment in April.
The Mail Online have also earmarked Golovin to be one of the stars for Russia in France.
“[Golovin] has rarely played for Russia but manager Slutsky knows him from the club, where he won the Russian Premier League this season,” Winehouse said.
There are few who would disagree.
Leave a Reply