Nazariy Rusyn scored his debut goal for Sunderland

On January 1, 2024 Ukrainian forward made his goal in the 26th round match, doubling the hosts’ lead with his debut goal in the Championship against Preston in the 44th minute.

It is the first goal in the first team of Sunderland from Nazariy. Sunderland comfortably beat Preston 2-0.

“It was a really good start to the year,” – the Sunderland Echo quoted Beale as saying.

“And the story of the game is a number nine scored for Sunderland, and it was an excellent goal. Naz deserves that, I think people don’t understand how difficult it is to come from somewhere like Ukraine with what’s going on there, his family aren’t with him. You can see he works his absolute socks off, Jack’s run will get highlighted but the movement to get across from Naz was fantastic.”

However, this ball became special for the Ukrainian national team striker and also for his team.

The fact is that Sunderland has not had any dedicated center forwards since April 18 last year. Then Joe Gelhardt scored in the match against Huddersfield (1:1).

The 25-year-old Ukrainian joined Sunderland from Luhansk’s Zorya at the beginning of September.

After his debut for Sunderland in late September, Rusyn played nine Championship matches for the team, contributing with one assist.

Ukrainian forward has showcased himself as one of the outstanding goal-scorers, having scored 13 goals in 30 matches in the previous season of the Ukrainian Premier League.

Previously, on October 4, Rusyn shared his thoughts with the Ukrainian media regarding the ongoing adaptation process and how football players can feel regarding scoring the first goal after an extended period of inactivity.

He said: “It is definitely a big burden. You won’t understand. It’s hard to explain what a football player or even more so an attacker feels if he hasn’t scored a goal in a long time. When you throw off this burden, you get relief, a thrill. It gives you confidence. And the most important thing for a football player is confidence. If you are confident in yourself, in your actions, you can move mountains.”

A crucial aspect of Rusyn’s adaptation is his language proficiency and the limited presence of compatriots in his surroundings.

Timur Tuterov, a Ukrainian U-21 player also representing Sunderland, has become a close companion to Rusyn and assisting him with his English language.

“In Ukraine, we knew each other only in absentia. Now we have a very good relationship with Nazik. I treat him like an older brother. He will give advice, and share his experience, it’s nice to be with him,”– Sport.ua quoted Tuterov as saying.

“Everyone treats me well, but I communicate the most with Timur Tuterov. I don’t understand many things. I study English with a teacher. It’s getting better every day, but it’s still hard. I hardly communicate with anyone in the team. Communication with teammates and coaches is very important,” – said Rusyn for Football24.

In early December, Rusyn suffered an injury but returned to the bench after recovery, featuring in six consecutive games for Sunderland.

SportsByte spoke exclusively to fans of football clubs Zorya Luhansk and Sunderland, providing insights into their expectations regarding Nazariy’s performances and his tenure with the respective clubs.

“His experience in Ukraine and success in the past season speak to his talent. While one goal and one assist are modest numbers, I’m confident there’s much more to come!” – a fan of Zorya Luhansk FC Kiril Pronin.

In the match against Preston, Rusyn appeared on the field for Sunderland for the first time since November 25th. It was Nazariy’s fifth start for the “Black Cats” in this season.

“It’s great to see Rusyn finding his groove at Sunderland, especially with his first goal. The December injury raises concerns, but he’s already back and continuing to contribute to the team. Hope Rusyn maintains form and helps us reach even greater heights!” – fan of Sunderland AFC Cristian Taralunga comments on the forward’s first goal.