Intern Arthur Clayton caught up with the youngest member of the 2023 squad, Denis Krioutchenkov, to chat about his soccer career and his summer so far.
When did you first begin playing soccer and at what point did you decide that you wanted to compete professionally?
I first began playing soccer when I moved to the United States, before that I lived in Israel. My mom said soccer was too dangerous so I played tennis instead. Eventually, my mom warmed up to the idea of me playing soccer with some convincing from my dad. I always had a dream of playing professionally, but I didn’t take it seriously until my sophomore year at Shorewood High School. During my freshman year I did not play soccer for my highschool, just for my club. However in my sophomore year I chose to play for my school and I scored 30 goals and produced 16 assists. Following that success, I had a great club season, which helped to open my eyes and made me realize that I wanted to take my soccer career to the next level.
Who has had the largest influence on your soccer career?
My dad. He played semi-professional soccer in Russia. Soccer was his main sport growing up and he helped to instill that passion into me. He has always been there to drive me to training and support me from the sidelines. I think he has had a major influence on me and he is someone who really cares about me.
How often do you train outside of scheduled team practices?
Right now I do not have a car to drive to training at Virtue Field. However, the hotel that I stay at has weights that I use to lift and a treadmill to run on. I always arrive early for training and I always leave late.
Do you have any rituals or superstitions that you implement before or after matches?
Before matches, I like to set my game kit in a neat and professional way in my locker. I also have this armband that says “Val 6.” This armband is in honor of Val, who was one of my best friends from club soccer. He passed away in a car accident, and ever since then I wanted to make sure his memory lives on. When I put it on, it serves as a reminder to work hard and give my best to everything I do.
The Vermont Green season is coming to a close within the next month, what has been your favorite moment of the season so far?
As funny as it is to say, my favorite moment of the season so far was the Western Mass Pioneers loss. Seeing all the fans that showed up to the match, stood in the rain, and stayed after with the players just didn’t seem real. It made me realize that these aren’t just your average fans that come and go, they really care about the club and players.
If you could give one piece of advice to upcoming youth soccer players who want to play at a higher level, what would that be?
They have to work hard and they really need to believe in themselves. Setting little goals and progressively getting better within those goals is extremely important.
If you could pick any current or retired professional players to fill a dream XI squad in a 4-3-3 formation, who would you pick?
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of soccer?
I really enjoy watching sports games in person. I also like to play pick-up basketball and running.
Have you had any injuries or set-backs that you have had to overcome in your career so far?
I have had one injury. I broke my ankle when I was in middle school. It was during an indoor game and I landed on my ankle awkwardly. It was my biggest injury yet and I am very thankful for that.
My biggest setback was in highschool during my junior year. Our team had won states in my sophomore year. In my junior year, my team made it to the state semi-final, however we lost. Seeing the other team celebrate was a sad moment, but it gave me motivation. In my senior year we made it to the state finals once again and we won through a penalty shoot-out.
Have there been any lessons that you have learned from playing soccer that you have been able apply to other areas of your life?
I’ve learned that with hard work you can achieve anything. You have to put your mind to something and believe you can accomplish it. You have to be able to push through pain, success doesn’t come without effort.
