Vitalii Mykolenko has admitted he misses the atmosphere at Goodison Park but is hoping Everton can make their new Hill Dickinson Stadium even more like home this season. The Blues moved to the 52,769-capacity ground on the Mersey waterfront after 133 years at historic Goodison.
Mixed First Season at New Ground
Everton started brightly at Hill Dickinson Stadium, winning two and drawing two of their first four Premier League matches there. However, they won just four more home games in the rest of the 2025-26 season, with their form in front of their own supporters a big reason why the Blues missed out on a place in Europe.
David Moyes’ men have begun the new 2026-27 campaign promisingly at their new home, with 2-0 and 1-0 wins over Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town respectively, sandwiched between a dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
Mykolenko on the Stadium Move
Speaking in an interview on the VZBIRNA YouTube channel, Mykolenko said: “Sometimes I miss the atmosphere at Goodison. But I wouldn’t say I miss our old home all that much, because this stadium is much newer and more comfortable. The first season at the new stadium wasn’t the best because we didn’t win many matches, but there is hope that we’ll secure more victories this season.”
Strong Form for Club and Country
Mykolenko was excellent in Everton’s win over Ipswich and has carried that form into the international arena. The left-back helped Ukraine to a 1-0 Nations League win in Hungary on Friday, enjoying his fourth consecutive clean sheet for club and country.
Despite struggling at times during pre-season, the 27-year-old has been consistent since the season began against Palace. In a separate interview with Setanta Sports, he said: “I feel great. I am experienced and now understand what experience is compared to when I was 20 years old playing for Dinamo Kiev. Sometimes you react to situations more calmly than you used to, both on the pitch and off, and physically I feel much better than I used to when I was young. When you are young, you have a lot of strength, but mentally, you approach all things much better, and physically you feel much better too. I started listening to my body much better than a few years ago and now I feel very, very good.”
High Hopes for the Season
Everton go into the international break unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions, sitting seventh in the early Premier League standings. Looking to improve on back-to-back 13th-placed finishes, Mykolenko said: “I really hope so – that we’ll climb higher than in previous seasons. But if we are making progress, that’s already a good thing. Even moving up one or two spots each season is positive; it means we’re heading in the right direction. From what I see in the dressing room, this is probably the strongest squad I’ve been part of since I arrived at Everton. I’m really happy that we have such a balanced and competitive team - with healthy competition, that is. So, I have high hopes.”
The Blues return to action away to Hull City on Sunday, October 11.
