Oleg Yashchuk


Oleg Yashchuk is a Ukrainian former professional footballer. A striker, he spent most of his career in Belgium and also holds the Belgian nationality. His last name is sometimes transliterated as Iachtchouk or Jasjtsjoek. He now coaches the U14 division of R.S.C. Anderlecht.

Club career

Iachtchouk was born in :uk:Грибова|Hrybova, Lanivtsi Raion, Ternopil Oblast then Ukrainian SSR. He first made a name for himself in the Ukrainian Premier League in the 1995–96 season. Playing for an unfashionable FC Nyva Ternopil side, then a 17-year-old, on matchday 1 he scored a hat trick at Shakhtar Donetsk helping his side to a shock 4–2 away win. He finished the season as the club's top scorer with 10 goals as Nyva narrowly avoided relegation.
Iachtchouk's talent caught the eye of Anderlecht and he signed for the Belgian club at the end of the season. He made a good start in the first team in the 1990s but then became injured for long periods of time. In some seasons he barely played at all because of recurring injuries, yet Anderlecht extended his contract in 2001 for another five years. In 2006, he left the club, having played 119 league matches and scored 31 goals during ten seasons.
He signed for Ergotelis in Greece for the 2006–07 season where he finally managed to shake off his injury problems.
On 14 June 2007, Iachtchouk returned to Belgium, signing a two-year contract with Cercle Brugge who had just appointed his former Anderlecht teammate Glen De Boeck as manager. In January 2009 his contract was extended until 2013, just days after he scored both of his team's goals in a 2–1 win against his former club Anderlecht.

International career

Iachtchouk has played for all of Ukraine's youth national teams, including a spell alongside Andriy Shevchenko for the Under-18s. In 1994, he became his team's best scorer at the European Under-16 Championship in Ireland where Ukraine finished 3rd. One of the three goals Iachtchouk scored at the tournament was against Belgium.
However, Iachtchouk has not won a single full international cap due to persistent injuries. After he finally recovered he found that his dual Ukrainian/Belgian citizenship is a major obstacle to his call-up for Ukraine; while he does not see himself playing for his new home country.

Awards and honours

Anderlecht
Individual