REDDITCH United have completed the signing of Ukrainian footballer Yan Osadchyi ahead of the new 2022/23 Southern League Premier season.

28-year-old Osadchyi has been on trial with the Reds in the last few weeks, appearing on the teamsheet under the alias of 'Trialist' in pre-season matches.

But the reason for him being in England is a story we have, sadly, become all too familiar with.

Osadchyi had been on a training camp in Turkey with his club Persha Liga (Ukranian second division) in February, ahead of the 2022/23 campaign that was set to begin in April.

But back home in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin's Russia had began their invasion of his country.

Some of the players in the side returned home to fight but like many others, Osadchyi and his partner Alina Shtyl fled to safety across Europe.

They have now settled in Worcester and after impressing Redditch boss Matt Clarke, the club have offered him a deal.

"We know where we are in the league pyramid and we know Yan was playing as a professional at a really good level in Ukraine," Clarke told The Athletic.

"He wants to do well for us to catch the eye of one of the professional clubs further up the pyramid. If he can do that by playing well for us, I’ll be delighted.

"The difficulty Yan might have is that when clubs higher up the pyramid look at players from our level, they tend to be looking for younger players. It’s a question of whether clubs higher up will see an older player as a viable option."