shevchenko signs for newcastle!

[bigmal76]

Shevchenko signs for Toon


News posted: 10-07-2007
The name Shevchenko will be on the back of a Newcastle shirt this season, however it's not the fans at St James' Park who will see the man play.
Aleksandr Shevchenko, a 23-year-old winger from Kiev, has completed a move to the Mobilx Vipers ahead of the bmibaby Elite League season which starts in September.
Vipers player-coach Rob Wilson has now completed his forward lines with the capture of 6ft Ukrainian, and Shevchenko is pencilled in to be alongside compatriot Sergiy Rublivsky and GB international Colin Shields on the club's second line.
"I've been looking for a winger who is a powerful skater, who goes to the net, causes opposing defense problems and whose style of play fits in with the Elite League," said Wilson today.
"Aleksandr ticks all the boxes in that respect, and just as importantly at only 23 he is looking to develop his career by moving to the UK with the Vipers.
"We've more or less had the deal agreed for a while, but we had to wait until the transfer window opened in the Belarus League, which was on July 4th. The paperwork was completed pretty quickly, and I'm delighted he's joined the Vipers."
Shevchenko has Under-18 honours for Ukraine, and has spent his career with teams in his hometown of Kiev. The exception was a season spent in the Ontario Hockey League with Sudbury Wolves and Windsor Spitfires in 2002-3.
Wilson added that he'd taken plenty of references on the player before committing to someone completely new the UK hockey scene.
"I've spoken at some length with our other Ukrainian players Pavel Gomenyuk and Sergiy Rublivsky as well as Slava Koulikov who acts a link with Ukrainian players coming to this country. They all rate Aleksandr very highly and think he will surprise a lot of people.
"The Belarus League is a very high standard and is played with a lot of speed and skill. I'm confident Aleksandr will adapt to the Elite League very quickly and be a major asset on the second line.
"After last season I promised that this year's team will be built around speed, skill and offence. Our top two lines now are looking very mobile, with the added punch of an effective third unit.
"I am very pleased with the way the team is coming together, and will now concentrate on completing the import lineup with two defencemen and a goalie."
Slava Koulikov, who along with his father, has brought several Ukrainian players to the UK - including the Vipers' pair of Pavel Gomenyuk and Sergiy Rublivsky - told the club website today: "Aleksandr is a great signing for the Vipers, his overall game is very good and he'll bring an all-action style to the Elite League.
"He's played in the Belarus League which is a very well-respected League in Eastern Europe, and I think he has the ability to be a big hit in the UK and with the Vipers fans."
Those Vipers fans will get their first chance to see Shevchenko and his team-mates in action on Sunday September 2 when the Mobilx Vipers host the Cassidy Coventry Blaze in the second of two challenge matches. The teams meet in Coventry on Saturday September 1. The home game at Metro Radio Arena faces off at 5.30pm

[Nade]

I'm ashamed to say you did have me for a second, but only because it was newcastle! as i could see it being one of their 'big name' buys they do like shearer and owen. If you'd said man utd or arsenal i wouldn't have believed it for a second but because it was the toon i did! Don't know what that says about their buying policy though Nice one!