2025-08-20, 12:55 PM - Word count:
Ilya has always been a pretty shy kid; anyone could tell you that. He never tried to be flashy or bring any attention to himself. Maybe that's why he loved football so much. Playing in the back of the 11, he could always blend into the crowd a bit, be part of the squad, and not have everyone looking at him all the time, like a striker or a CAM. Ilya has always loved passing. Making the pass that could spring the attack free from the press of the opposition, crossing it high to his attackers to let them figure out what to do with it. Maybe that's what the scouts loved about him, that he always did what his coach wanted, the role that very few people wanted to play on the pitch. Now, his mindset has landed him in the Istanbul FK academy, 6000 kilometers away from his hometown, Nadym, Russia. He's never seen a pitch as beautiful as the ones he's playing on now for Istanbul. The way the grass is meticulously cut to perfection, and watered so that it has just the right amount of friction. Now all that's left for Ilya to do is prove himself at this level, show that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level of football, the SSL. It won't be easy, but nothing ever has been for Ilya.
