"I'm very glad Yuri has moved to Chelsea," Pavlyuchenko explained to the official website of UEFA. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime offer and you have to say 'yes.' Zhirkov is a great professional. He could become a team leader. The only problem is his knowledge of the English language. If he masters that, all will be well."
Learning English and grasping the complexities of the language was also a snag cited by former Manchester United winger Andrei Kanchelskis, who earlier stated that should the former CSKA man master English, then he could make as instant an impact as Arsenal star Andrey Arshavin.
Zhirkov's first boss, Valeri Sharapov, coached the winger as a ten-year-old, and praised his intensive attitude toward training. "His control of the ball is a natural gift. Even after training, he stayed outside to play with his friends and went to sleep with the ball," the coach said.
Serbia attacker Krasic, a former team-mate of Zhirkov, who would oft have spent his match-days mirroring the productivity of the £18 million man on the opposite flank, added, "Yuri is the best footballer in Russia. At the European Championships he showed his class to the world. He also played consistently for the club. I am not surprised Chelsea came in for him. Zhirkov is totally worth it."
Russian assistant coach Aleksandr Boroduk told UEFA’s website, "One of his biggest strengths is that he continues to outdo himself. That tells you all about his character. I also want to underline his personal qualities: he is a fabulous person."
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