Captain carries 50m hopes

The Ukraine captain has won everything at club level but has never played in a major championship. Shevchenko said it was his life-long dream to represent his country at the highest level.

“No matter how many trophies you've won at a club level, nothing can be compared with playing for your country,” said the 2004 European “Footballer of the Year”, who has won the Champions League and Series A titles with AC Milan as well as five Ukrainian championships with Dynamo Kiev.

“Every player dreams of representing his country in a World Cup and I’m no different. I can only imagine what it would feel like walking on to the pitch wearing your national colours.”

Shevchenko feels Ukraine are quite capable of qualifying from their first-round group, which also includes Spain, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

“We have a young team, capable of causing upsets,” he said.

Leading Ukraine to the knockout round, however, would be no easy task even for a proven goalscorer such as the 29-year-old striker.

Unlike his club, where he is surrounded by a great international cast including Brazil playmaker Kaka, Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf and Italy full back Paolo Maldini, Ukraine have often been regarded as a one-man team.

Shevchenko would love to prove sceptics wrong as he has done time and again in his career.

Few believed a skinny 22-year-old from Ukraine would make a smooth transition to the demanding Series A when he joined AC Milan in 1999.

Shevchenko became an instant hit with Milan fans, however, notching up 24 goals and becoming the first foreigner to top the Series A scoring charts in his debut season.

He is now the club's second all-time leading scorer behind Gunnar Nordahl and has a chance to overtake the great Swede.

Shevchenko is also the leading active scorer in European club competition with 55 goals and is fast closing on Gerd Muller's all-time record of 62.

(REUTERS)