Arsenal ace Oleksandr Zinchenko proposed to his stunning wife Vlada at 4am wearing just his boxers.

He is ashamed to admit there was no romance, no special setting, no orchestras playing on a beach at sunset – he says it was the worst ever.

Speaking exclusively towww.FootballersLives.tv, Gunners star Zinchenko, 26, said: ‘The way I proposed is the worse proposal ever, ever – it’s impossible, it’s so shameful.’

But he needn’t have worried because Vlada – who works as a television journalist and even covers some of Alex’s matches – said yes.

‘Of course she did,’ insists Alex. ‘First of all because I am the Ukrainian Brad Pitt and I’m in my boxers – amazing body as well.’ But he still cringes when he remembers that night…

‘Honestly I am going to regret all my life my proposal – the worse thing ever – it’s incredible,’ he adds.

‘What happened (was) we had a game against Portugal at home, qualification for the Euros. I was going to propose. I knew Vlada was going to work on that game.

‘I will ask her boss to call me for the interview and I wanted to do it in the interview. This idea is perfect – we won the game 2-1. My ring was in my bag and I wanted to do it.

‘But I knew from growing up that before you propose to your favoured wife you have to ask permission of her parents. Not on the phone, but face to face.

‘It was so difficult to find some time. I was going to ask the manager if I could go on some personal issues and be back in five hours. I couldn’t do it, didn’t want to do it beforehand, before I had asked permission.’

He put his head in his hands and continued: ‘Instead of this, I did it that night around 4am, or 3am in her apartment, being in just boxers, almost naked.

‘I would like to give advice to everyone who is planning to do the proposal, please don’t do it my way. I became crazy at the time. I went outside walking for a while, bought a lot of flowers for her that morning.

‘Why I did it in the apartment instead of anywhere else? It’s not the most important, but it’s important for the memory.’

The couple’s relationship began after a 5-0 win over Serbia for Ukraine in 2019 when Zinchenko kissed stunning TV presenter Vlada, 27, on air during an interview. He said: ‘The kiss I have seen thousands of times. The way I kiss her, you see my lips, I love her so much.

‘I told her: ‘Vlada I am going to kiss you.’ I said to everyone that we had a relationship.’

But one massively romantic gesture in 2020 made them a footballing golden couple when Alex went down on one knee for a public proposal in the 70,000-seater Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, where the couple both wore the national shirt and were surrounded by thousands of gorgeous red and white roses in the shape of a heart.

Alex’s next enormous romantic moment after the wedding, was when Vlada was pregnant with their baby daughter Eva. The TV presenter gave birth in a Miami hospital in August 2021.

Alex, who was playing for Manchester City at the time of Vlada’s pregnancy, explained: ‘We had a friendly game against Cyprus. I really wanted to score a goal and dedicate the goal to our future baby.

‘I asked to take the penalty, it was in the extra time of the first half, it was 100 per cent I scored. One of the best days in my football career – it was such a very emotional day. All sides of the story, all directions, in terms of the result 4-0 to Ukraine, after the game the celebration. It was in my head to do it.

‘It was the most beautiful time for my country. People deserved the best to make them smile. Make them proud they are Ukrainian, make them smile for a couple of seconds.

‘Much thanks due to the fans for my support, screaming and stuff like this. I couldn’t hold my tears back. These kind of moments you can’t describe what you feel inside – such emotion.’

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