Andrei Kanchelskis

By Craig · Published 27 October 2026

Andrei Kanchelskis is a right winger from Ukraine who played for the Soviet Union, the CIS and Russia. He won two league titles with Manchester United, then scored 16 league goals in his one full season at Everton.

He is one of the few players to have scored in the Manchester, Merseyside and Old Firm derbies.

Clubs

Dynamo Kyiv (1988 to 1990), Shakhtar Donetsk (1990 to 1991), Manchester United (1991 to 1995), Everton (1995 to 1997), Fiorentina (1997 to 1998), Rangers (1998 to 2002), Manchester City (loan, 2001), Southampton (2002 to 2003)

Premier League

151 appearances, 42 goals

Honours

Premier League 1993 and 1994, FA Cup 1994, League Cup 1992, Scottish Premier League 1999 and 2000, Premier League Player of the Month April 1996

International

USSR 17 caps, CIS 6, Russia 36; 59 caps and 7 goals in all

Fantasy price

£11.5m in 1995/96

Who did he play for?

He came through at Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk, and scored the last goal in Soviet history, against Cyprus on 13 November 1991. Manchester United had already paid £650,000 for him that March.

At United he won the league in 1993 and 1994, the FA Cup in 1994 and the League Cup in 1992. In 1994/95 he was the club's top scorer with 14 league goals, including a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Manchester City in November 1994, all three set up by Eric Cantona.

Everton paid a club record £5 million for him in August 1995. Shakhtar's claim to a share of the fee held the deal up for five weeks, so his full debut came against United on 10 September. He scored 16 league goals that season and was Player of the Month in April 1996 after five goals in four games.

In January 1997, days after an FA Cup exit at Bradford, Everton sold him to Fiorentina for £8 million, still a club record sale at the time. He joined Rangers in July 1998 for £5.5 million and won two league titles there.

He came back to England twice, briefly: ten games on loan at Manchester City in early 2001, and one substitute appearance for Southampton in September 2002. He finished in Saudi Arabia and Russia, and now manages Dynamo Bryansk in the Russian lower leagues.

The moment: Liverpool, 18 November 1995

Anfield, Saturday 18 November 1995, his first Merseyside derby for Everton. He had not yet scored for the club.

On 53 minutes he headed Paul Rideout's cross in off the post. On 69 he ran onto Anders Limpar's pass and hit a low shot that David James could only help in. Robbie Fowler pulled one back late on. Liverpool 1-2 Everton, their first win at Anfield since 1986.

Why the streets won't forget

In the 1994 League Cup final against Aston Villa he handled on the line in the last minute and became the first player sent off in a League Cup final. Dean Saunders scored the penalty.

In August 1994 the agent Grigori Yesaulenko handed Alex Ferguson a box containing £40,000 in cash. Ferguson put it in the club safe and later wrote that he had assumed it was a samovar.

He broke Everton's transfer record coming in and going out inside 18 months.

He has said that David Beckham only got into the United side because he left.

Which seasons can you draft him in?

Two, and only one of them is a full season. His loan at Manchester City and his one game for Southampton don't make the game's squads.

In 1995/96 he is the most expensive midfielder in the game, £1.0m above Ryan Giggs, with 16 goals and 8 assists. He played 32 of the 38 games, so keep a midfielder on the bench.

Want him in your retro fantasy football team for 1995/96? He'll cost you £11.5m.