Known as “Sheva,” the 35-year old announced his retirement on June 19 after Ukraine lost against England and dropped out of Euro 2012. He’d played a 20-minute cameo role on an injured knee and was unable to influence the game.

His two goals against Sweden in the first game on June 11 were reminiscent of his best years – and gave the nation joy and hope. When he took to the pitch on June 19, tens of thousands of Ukrainians in the fan zone on Kyiv’s Khreshchatyk street erupted in a chant of “Sheva! Sheva!”

Shevchenko is someone Ukrainians could  and should be proud of. Playing in Europe for Italian giant AC Milan and winning the Golden Ball as Europe’s best player in 2004, he was Ukraine’s most successful export to Europe, a counterweight to the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, prostitutes and flashy oligarchs the country is perhaps best-known for in the West.

Despite his success, Shevchenko remained humble and hard-working. To Ukrainians, he was svii – “one of us.” When he left Chelsea in 2009, he could have joined a top European team, but instead he returned to Dynamo Kyiv, where he started his career. Ukrainians were delighted. In his first games, they cheered his every touch, calling “Davai, Andriusha!”

Even as age and injuries took their toll on his body, his attraction never faded.
After an open training session ahead of the tournament, Shevchenko was mobbed by hundreds of fans. He patiently signed shirts for them. Then, when most other players walked past journalists waiting for a comment, he stood and spoke for several minutes.

Sheva’s performance in the 2-1 victory over Sweden is the best memory to keep of him from his final tournament.

Throughout his career, he gave Ukrainians hope and confidence that they could achieve things with talent and hard work. He lifted the name of Ukraine abroad and allowed Ukrainians to walk around Europe with their head held high.

“Football allows us to feel like normal people and not be ashamed to be Ukrainian,” one Ukraine fan said after the game. “People are not cheering for Sheva; they are cheering for themselves.”