Kelty Hearts sporting director Andrew Barrowman has paid tribute to the character and courage of on-loan St Johnstone kid Max Kucheriavyi.
Barrowman negotiated the winger’s switch to New Central Park last month and has become an immediate admirer of the ‘intelligent, tough’ teenager.
Kucheriavyi, 19, has displayed astonishing maturity in light of Russia’s invasion of his homeland.
With family still based in Kyiv, he started a GoFundMe page with the target of £500. It has reached more than £5000, with both Kelty and Saints’ stars contributing to the cause.
“The fundraising page was all his idea,” Barrowman told Courier Sport. “He created it on his own, with a modest target — and it has exceeded that already.
“We were only too happy to support his effort and really push that.
“He could have been forgiven for not doing anything like this, but Max was thinking about others. That is testament to the sort of person he is.
“Max is here, in a strange country on his own, and we are all witnessing what is happening over in Ukraine on the TV. But, all through that, he’s taking the lead on fundraising and still doing his job every day.
“He is a very impressive young man.”
🇺🇦🤝🇱🇻
Our young winger, Max Kucheriavyi, has started a Go Fund Me page to help out his loved ones back home in Ukraine.
Please, if you can, donate to help Max and his family in these very tough times.https://t.co/EZMfNcuUif— Kelty Hearts FC 🇱🇻🇺🇦 (@KeltyHeartsFC) March 3, 2022
Nerves of steel
Indeed, Kucheriavyi has belied unimaginable turmoil to start Kelty Hearts’ last two matches, turning in standout performances.
He continues to train with St Johnstone on a daily basis, with Perth captain Liam Gordon recently emphasising that he can rely on the support of everyone at McDiarmid Park.
“He’s a fantastic kid,” Barrowman continued. “Even in the short amount of time we’ve had him at Kelty, we’ve seen his personality shine through. Max is an intelligent boy and has his head screwed on.
“I can only begin to imagine what life is like for Max at the moment, and he is expected to come and perform on a football pitch — that is a credit to what a strong person he is.
“Don’t be fooled by that baby face; he is tough and has nerves of steel.
“Max was excellent for us again on Saturday and to perform like that when everything going on in the background is nothing short of incredible.”
Big future
While football may seem like at afterthought given the situation in Ukraine, Barrowman has no doubt that Kucheriavyi’s talent and evident mental strength will make him a St Johnstone regular in years to come.
“He has a big future ahead of him and I know how highly St Johnstone think of him,” he added.
“Max is a fantastic talent, we are luck to have him, and we’ll enjoy him between now and the end of the season.”
Max’s fundraising efforts can be found here.
