Nikita Rukavytsya

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Personal information
Nikita Rukavytsya
Full name	Nikita Rukavytsya
Date of birth	June 22, 1987 (1987-06-22) (age 20)
Place of birth	Ukraine
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+¹⁄₂ in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Perth Glory
Number	13
Youth clubs
2006	AIS
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2006-present	Perth Glory	23 (6)
National team²
2008-present	Australia U-23	04 (1)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 March 2008. ² National team caps and goals correct as of 10 March 2008. * Appearances (Goals)

Nikita Rukavytsya (born June 22, 1987) is an Ukrainian-Australian football (soccer) player currently playing for A-League club Perth Glory as a Striker.

[edit] Club career

Born in Ukraine, Rukavytsya's family moved to Australia when he was 14 years old, settling in Perth. ^[1] He played junior football for Inglewood United and Perth SC in the Western Australia State League while attending Mount Lawley Senior High School, before training at the Australian Institute of Sport on a football scholarship.

He joined Perth Glory on a short-term replacement deal in the latter stages of the 2006/2007 A-League season, making three appearances for the club. In March 2007, he signed a contract with the Glory to keep him at the club until the end of the 08/09 season.

After an excellent pre-season, the start of the 2007/08 A-League season was difficult for both Rukavytsya and Perth Glory. However, with coach Ron Smith let go, Rukavytsya turned his form around starting by scoring two goals against the Newcastle United Jets in David Mitchell's first game as coach and another two goals against Melbourne Victory at home on the 2nd of December, 2007. Rukavytsya managed to score six goals in the last eight games of the campaign, earning himself an Olyroos cap, a Socceroos call-up, and a trial with Hannover 96 in Germany.

Most recently, Rukavytsya scored in a warm-up game for the Olyroos against Adelaide United. He also scored his first international goal for the Australian U-23's, in their 3-0 win over Croatian U-21's at the Intercontinental Cup in Malaysia on 16th May 2008.