Zinchenko: "PSV? I couldn't even buy a coffee in Eindhoven back then..."

Exclusive by Alessandro Schiavone

Oleksandr Zinchenko is looking forward to his reunion with PSV tonight as Arsenal are ending a six-and-half-year wait to play in the Champions League.

The Gunners take on the Eindhoven giants in the competition's curtain-raiser at the Emirates tonight.

The Ukrainian winger spent one season out on loan at the Philips Stadion in 2016/2017 when he was a 20-year-old up-and-coming youngster. It beggars belief that that was also the last time the Gunners were involved in the world's biggest club tournament.

In an exclusive interview with Capital Football the Ukraine star now admitted that even though he was largely unknown to the wider public he still couldn't grab a coffee in the city of Eindhoven back then, with fans mobbing him every time they got sight of him.

He said: " PSV is a special thing for me to be fair.

"It was an amazing experience to be in that team.

"It's such a big club in the Netherlands, they have amazing fans. Every single game was like full stadium! I used to live in the city centre and I couldn't even go for a coffee.

"Definitely I was not a big player or something like this. But every single PSV fan recognized you, which means a lot to the players as they stick together.

"There are huge players that I used to play with like Luuk De Jong and some staff still there. I'll be happy to see them."