Kristian Shevchenko joins Sholing as club targets released academy players

Kristian Shevchenko has signed a permanent deal with Sholing FC, with the seventh-tier club bringing in the 19-year-old as part of a recruitment approach focused on young players released by professional teams. BBC Sport reported the move and the thinking behind it, drawing on manager Paul Doswell's interview with BBC Radio Solent.

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Shevchenko, the son of former Ukraine striker and Ballon d'Or winner Andriy Shevchenko, arrives after spells in the academies of Chelsea, Tottenham and Watford. His most recent club was Watford, where he played for the under-21 side before being released in May. His move takes him to Southampton-based Sholing in the Southern League Premier Division South.

Doswell said the signing grew out of connections between members of his coaching staff and academy football. The manager had spoken to Shevchenko the previous week and described the teenager as keen to join Sholing's model, compete for a place in the team and continue developing his career. The move follows a recent change in the club's transfer strategy.

That strategy centres on recruiting promising young footballers who have been let go by professional clubs and offering them opportunities in non-league football. Doswell said Sholing hoped to improve those players during their time at the club and help them work their way back into the professional leagues. He presented that return as an ambition for the recruitment programme, rather than a guaranteed outcome.

Sholing also have connections to established players through their off-field work and squad. Chelsea and England defender Levi Colwill serves as an associate director and community ambassador. Matt Targett is involved in the club's growth, while his younger brother Brad plays for the Boatmen, according to the BBC report.

Kristian's father played for Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan and Chelsea before retiring in 2012. Andriy won the Champions League with Milan in 2003 and received the Ballon d'Or the following year. Kristian's next opportunity comes in a different setting, with Sholing offering a route into their team following his departure from Watford's academy setup.