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Andrei Arshavin (Russian: Андрей Сергеевич Аршавин) (born May 30, 1981 in Leningrad) is a Russian international football forward who currently plays for Zenit St. Petersburg. He is a versatile second striker who can also play as an attacking midfielder and winger. He is best known for his close control, vision, playmaking ability and speed.
Club career
Arshavin graduated from Smena football school. In 1999 and early 2000 he played for Zenit's farm club, Zenit-2, in the Second Division.
In 2000 he was included in the Zenit squad. He played in various positions on the field, starting as a right midfielder, then as an attacking midfielder and finally adopted the second striker's role playing on a flank or behind a target man. He won the Russian Premier League Award for the player of the season largely because of his ability to play well as a winger, playmaker and as a striker.
In the 2007 Russian Premier League season Arshavin guided his Zenit St Petersburg side to the title, starting all 30 matches - scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists along the way. It was the club's first league title since claiming the now defunct Soviet Top League in 1984.
International career
Arshavin debuted for the Russian national team on May 17, 2002 in a match against Belarus. His first goal with the squad came in a friendly match versus Romania on February 13, 2003 and since, he has managed to score in every competition which Russia has participated in. He was Russia's captain in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia.
UEFA Euro 2008
Arshavin was included in Russia's Euro 2008 squad by manager Guus Hiddink, despite being unable to play in the first two group matches due to suspension. He announced his return by setting up the first goal and scoring the second in Russia's final group game against Sweden at Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, which helped his team qualify for the next round.
In the next match, the quarter-final against the Netherlands, Arshavin repeated the feat with his part in Russia's two goals in the second half of extra time, providing the cross for Dmitri Torbinski's goal and scoring his own four minutes later. Russia consequently reached the semi-finals with a 3-1 victory. For both of these games, UEFA awarded him Man of the Match
