Andrei Arshavin

Andrey Arshavin (, first name also Romanization of Russian as Andrei) (born May 29, 1981 in Saint Petersburg, then Leningrad) is a Russian Russia national football team footballer. He is the top player of the Russian Premier League team FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. He can play both as a midfielder and as a striker.

Andrey Arshavin graduated from Smena football school. In 1999 and early 2000 he played for Zenit's farm club, Zenit-2, in the Russian Second Division.

In 2000 he was included in FC Zenit Saint Petersburg squad. He played in various positions on the field, starting as a right midfielder, then as an attacking midfielder and finally as a striker. He won the Russian Premier League Award for the player of the season largely because of his ability play well as a winger, playmaker and as a striker. He is known for superb pace, dribbling qualities, vision, technique and passing. These attributes and his hard working nature have turned him into one of the most important players for club and country.

Arshavin scored 11 goals in his 25 matches for Zenit in the UEFA Cup. He debuted for the national team on May 17, 2002 in a match against Belarus national football team. On March 24, 2007 he was the Russia captain in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia national football team.

Honours

- 2001 - Russian Premier League, 3rd position
- 2003 - Russian Premier League, runner-up
- 2003 - Russian Premier League Cup, winner
- 2001 - best right midfielder according to Sport-Express
- 2004 and 2005 - best second striker according to Sport-Express
- 2004 - voted Player of the Year by the readers of Soviet Sport
- 2006 - named best player by Russian Football Union, Sport-Express, Soviet Sport, named Russian Footballer of the Year