Mudryk returns to Premier League after 663 days as Tottenham review his journey

According to Tottenham's official website, Mudryk looked back on his development and his reunion with De Zerbi.

Mudryk joined Tottenham on loan from Chelsea on the September 1 deadline day, becoming the club's ninth new signing this summer.

The 25-year-old winger will work with De Zerbi again. They previously worked together at Shakhtar Donetsk, where a productive period helped the youngster develop into one of Europe's most promising young attackers.

The Tottenham newcomer wears the No.27 shirt. He is fast, technically gifted and dangerous in one-on-one situations. He is eager to start a new chapter at Tottenham and seize this opportunity.

This is the story of Mudryk and Tottenham.

Mudryk was born on January 5, 2001, in Krasnohrad, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. As a child, he played football in the streets with friends and dreamed of becoming a professional player.

At the age of nine, he joined the Metalist Kharkiv football school, taking an important step in his football career. The school still holds a special place in his heart today.

Mudryk's parents are both teachers. He performed well at school, but reaching the highest level of football was always his main goal. Friends and family called him 'Misha'.

After four years at Metalist, he spent another two years training at Dnipro before joining one of Ukraine's most successful clubs, Shakhtar Donetsk, at the age of 16.

Within Shakhtar's academy system, the speedy winger developed quickly. He also represented Ukraine at various youth levels, progressing from the U16 team.

At 17, Mudryk made his senior debut in the Ukrainian Cup as Shakhtar beat local rivals Olimpik Donetsk 3-2 in the last 16. A month later, he was included in a Ukrainian Premier League squad for the first time but did not play.

Due to his outstanding potential but limited experience, he was loaned to Ukrainian Premier League side Arsenal Kyiv midway through the 2018/19 season, making his first league appearance.

In the 2019/20 season, Mudryk remained at Shakhtar and mainly played for the youth team, but he also featured in three league matches at the end of the campaign as the club won the title.

The following season, he joined Desna Chernihiv on loan and made 10 league appearances while the team sat third after 13 rounds of the Ukrainian top flight.

After the winter break in February, Mudryk was recalled by his parent club. He made his league debut as a substitute in Shakhtar's 2-0 away win over Vorskla Poltava, and made two more league appearances that season as the team finished runners-up.

At that time, Mudryk had only made seven first-team appearances for Shakhtar, but the club remained confident about his future. After De Zerbi took charge in May 2021, Mudryk's potential was further unlocked.

Mudryk made his first full league start against Oleksandriya in the third round. In his next start, he provided two assists, then assisted in Champions League qualifying as Shakhtar eliminated Monaco and reached the group stage.

By September 2021, he had scored in a 5-0 league win over Mariupol and then played in all of Shakhtar's Champions League group matches. The group included Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Sheriff Tiraspol.

Mudryk's performance at the Santiago Bernabeu attracted particular attention. Shakhtar eventually lost 1-2, but the Ukrainian youngster received a standing ovation from Real Madrid supporters when he was substituted in the second half, a rare gesture for an opposing player.

After the winter break in February 2022, Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused the Ukrainian Premier League to be suspended. When the 2021/22 season ended early, Mudryk had made 19 appearances for Shakhtar, scoring two goals and providing nine assists, and was named the club's Player of the Year.

In June of the same year, Mudryk made his senior international debut against Scotland in a World Cup qualifying playoff. He later came on as a substitute in Ukraine's decisive match against Wales, but Ukraine lost 0-1 and missed out on the World Cup.

In the 2022/23 season, Mudryk had become a key Shakhtar player, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in the first 12 league matches.

His domestic form continued into the Champions League, scoring once and assisting twice in a 4-1 group-stage win over RB Leipzig. He then started every match in a group featuring Celtic and Real Madrid.

Mudryk mainly played as a left winger but also showed his ability to drive forward centrally. He scored a spectacular top-corner goal after a brilliant run in a 1-1 away draw with Celtic, ending the group stage with three goals and two assists.

By January 2023, the then 21-year-old had become one of Europe's most promising young players. He made 44 appearances for Shakhtar and contributed to 29 goals before moving to Chelsea and being named Ukraine's Footballer of the Year for 2022.

On January 15, 2023, Mudryk arrived in London, leaving a Ukraine affected by war while his family and friends remained at home. In 2022, he had said football could bring happiness to Ukrainians even in the darkest moments. Carrying his attachment to Ukraine with him, he left home and loved ones at 22 to achieve one of his dreams of playing in the Premier League.

A week later, he came on as a substitute for 35 minutes against Liverpool at Anfield to make his Chelsea debut. The match ended 0-0, and Mudryk came close to scoring twice, including one chance created with Gallagher, with his pace and direct running making a strong impression.

That season, Mudryk recorded the Premier League's third-fastest top speed at 36.63 km/h. In his first season in England, he made 15 league appearances and two Champions League appearances, while Chelsea were eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.

During this period, Chelsea went through managerial changes. Graham Potter was dismissed in early April, current Tottenham assistant coach Bruno Saltor temporarily led the team in a 0-0 draw with Liverpool, and Lampard later took charge for the end of the season.

Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League in 2022/23 before appointing Mauricio Pochettino. In the following season, Mudryk made 41 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing four assists.

His first Chelsea goal came in a 2-0 away win over Fulham in early October. Two matches later, he scored a fine goal in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal and won the club's Goal of the Month award.

Mudryk provided assists in two consecutive league matches, helping Chelsea beat De Zerbi's Brighton 3-2 and assisting away against Manchester United, although Chelsea lost 1-2. In the FA Cup quarter-final against Newcastle, he equalised in stoppage time to force extra time and scored Chelsea's fifth and final penalty in the 5-3 shootout win. Chelsea eventually lost to Liverpool in the final and finished runners-up.

In May 2024, Mudryk scored in a 3-2 away win over Nottingham Forest. Chelsea finished sixth and qualified for the Conference League. Mudryk then represented Ukraine at Euro 2024, where the team were eliminated in the group stage in Germany.

After the new season began, Chelsea welcomed new manager Enzo Maresca. Although Mudryk was mainly a substitute in the Premier League, he performed strongly in the early European campaign, contributing three goals and three assists in the first four league-phase matches before the subsequent interruption.

On November 28, 2024, Mudryk scored in a 2-0 away win over German side Heidenheim. It was his last involvement in an official match until his Tottenham debut in a 0-0 away draw with Nottingham Forest. He was provisionally suspended over an alleged anti-doping violation and missed nearly two years of football, with the case clarified by the FA at the end of July.

During his long absence, a determined mindset and faith supported Mudryk. He has 'Only Jesus' tattooed on his neck and another English tattoo on his chest: 'Dear God, if today I lose hope, please remind me that your plan is better than my dreams.'

The Ukraine international spent much of this year training individually at Honeycroft Ground of non-league club Uxbridge to maintain his fitness and technical level. Four years later, he reunited with his 'football father' De Zerbi and began a new chapter at Tottenham.

After Mudryk joined on deadline day, Tottenham's head coach said: 'I will have very high demands for Misha. Our job is to help him find the best version of himself. If we do that, he can become a very important member of the team.'

When Mudryk and De Zerbi first worked together at Shakhtar, the coach helped the young player emerging in Ukraine reach his best level. Now 25, Mudryk has made 28 appearances for his national team and 139 appearances in senior club football. Their reunion will be an opportunity for him to rediscover his form and prove himself.