Oleksandr Zinchenko has given a heartbreaking interview with Gary Lineker about the scenes in Ukraine.Lineker took to Twitter to describe the interview as 'the most emotional and heart-rending interview I’ve ever done.'You can view an eight-minute clip of the interview on the BBC website.Asked where he was when he found out the invasion had started, Zinchenko replied: "At midnight UK time, my wife woke me up and she was crying."I was in shock. She showed me the videos, the pictures, what's going on now in Ukraine."Maybe the most closest feeling is when someone from your circle is dying. You know, this feeling like you feel so bad inside. But this is even much more worse.Vote now: The GMS February fan awards"I'm just crying. It’s already [been] a week - I'm not counting - but even when I drive the car from the training ground, I can just cry from nothing."It's everything in my head. Imagine the place where you were born, where you were growing up and there is just empty ground."
Zinchenko said he would be back in Ukraine fighting if it weren't for his family.
"I'll be honest, if not for my daughter, my family, I would be there," he continued.
"I'm just born like that. I know the people from my country, the mentality of them, and all of them, they think exactly the same.
"I'm so proud to be Ukrainian, and I will be forever for the rest of my life. And when you're watching the people, how they fight for their lives.
"I know the people, the mentality of my people from my country, they prefer to die, and they will die. But they're not going to give [up]."
PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: Oleksandr Zinchenko of Manchester City, Referee Andy Madley and Frankie Kent of Peterborough United hold a Ukrainian flag to indicate peace and sympathy with Ukraine prior to the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Peterborough United and Manchester City at ABAX Stadium on March 01, 2022 in Peterborough, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The Manchester City ace also said he was grateful for the support that both himself and his country have received.
He said: "I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful to all these people for the support I'm getting here. I didn't realise it's going to be like that in this way. So I would like to say all of them big thanks. I appreciate it.
"I'm getting a lot of messages from a lot of guys in Ukraine and they are asking me about the videos of support [from the UK].
"So people are watching TV, the people are still watching football, and they can see all these things, and I guess it helps a lot for them
"It's like, the people who are supporting Ukraine, they are trying to push them - don't give up. And I know my people they won't."