A British builder has braved a warzone to present world champion boxer and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko with a shirt from his favourite non-league football club.
Brass-balled Andrew Drury, 56, travelled 14 hours into war-torn Ukraine to the capital Kyiv to meet the 6’7” former ‘Dr Ironfist’ fighter.
Dad-of-four Andrew is a life-long fan of Aldershot Town FC, nicknamed the ‘The Shots’, and presented Klitschko with home and away shirts for the club’s 23/24 season last week.
As these photographs show the boxing and political heavyweight was happy to pose for pictures in the shirt to the delight of fans in the UK.
More than 85,000 have now viewed a post about the remarkable meeting on Aldershot Town’s social media. During Mr Drury’s time in Kyiv the Ukrainian capital was hit by Russian missile strikes that hit an apartment building.
Mr Drury, from Surrey, has travelled to warzones first as a hobby, and then as a filmmaker and journalist, for more than 20 years.
He said Klitschko was shocked the shirt was such a good fit, adding: “It was a 2XL and I think he was surprised we got the size right.
“Vitali was such a humble and welcoming man, and what he is doing in Ukraine for the people of Kyiv is awesome.
“He was more than happy to wear The Shots shirt and you could tell he was a real sports fan. If he ever took the field for The Shots I reckon he would pack a punch up front.
“Aldershot is traditionally the home of the British Army because we are a barracks town, and the club has done a lot to show support for Ukraine with flags around the ground since the start of the invasion.
“When we were in Kyiv there were missile strikes and people are dying being bombed almost every day, I wanted to keep Ukraine in the minds of people back home and sharing my passion for football with this great man is a message that everyone can understand.”
A spokesperson for Aldershot Town said: We were delighted to receive images of Mayor of Kyiv and former Heavyweight Champion of the World Vitali Klitschko donning the red and blue of Aldershot Town.
“Thanks to Andy Drury of our Club Partners RLD Builders for supplying Vitali with the shirt and arranging the pictures! It’s great to see our amazing 23/24 shirt being spread even further around the world.”
