Search icon

Sport

18th Mar 2016

Andrey Arshavin joins club in the very backwater of world football

He probably needs a new agent

Robert Redmond

No MLS or China for Andrey.

It’s difficult to think of a player who’s career fizzled out as quickly as Andrey Arshavin.

The Russian attacking midfielder came from relative obscurity to light up Euro 2008, became Arsenal’s record signing in 2009, before breaking Liverpool’s hearts when he scored four goals at Anfield.

It quickly went downhill from there.

Arshavin returned to boyhood club Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2012, but was unable to recapture the form that saw him lead the Russian side to UEFA Cup victory in 2008, and was last seen at Kuban Krasnodar.

The 34-year-old has been out for football for the past few months, but has signed a one year deal with Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan. The team finished second in the league last season and the Kazakh 2016 season is only a week old.

A player of Arshavin’s talent should probably be phoning it in playing in MLS or China in the autumn of his career, but he seems pretty happy with his lot.

b00fcc71555407ed68422f48e5c5e159Almaty’s