Champions League centurion Shovkovskiy ends stalwart Dynamo career

Milestone man Oleksandr Shovkovskiy, one of just four goalkeepers to have reached 100 Champions League appearances, has finally hung up his gloves.

The 41-year-old made 645 appearances as a one-club man at Dynamo Kiev, where he won 14 Ukrainian league titles, having debuted in the first team in 1993.

Capped 92 times for his country, Shovkovskiy remains in elite Champions League company. Oliver Kahn, Edwin van der Saar and Iker Casillas are the only other shot-stoppers to reach a century of appearances in UEFA’s elite club competition.

“Everything has its beginning and its end,” Shovkovskiy told Dynamo’s official website.

“My 20-plus years as a professional footballer are over.

“All those years I was happy to defend the colours of Dynamo. I’ve had many victories and many losses, big triumphs and bitter defeats. I’m happy with my career, but it’s time to say goodbye and to thank the club and fans for everything.”

Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (144), Andriy Shevchenko (111) and Oleg Gusev (98) are the only Ukraine internationals with more caps for the national team, while Shovkovskiy is the only goalkeeper to emerge from a World Cup penalty shootout without conceding.