The father of former Everton winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov claims his son has been called up to fight in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Bilyaletdinov, 37, spent three years playing for the Toffees in the Premier League between 2009 and 2012 before retiring from football in 2019.
Last week Russian persistent Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation order, making military-aged males with armed-forces training liable to be drafted.
That order could see as many as 300,000 Russians called up to serve in the conflict, with queues of cars on the border with Georgia heading out of the country to avoid the call.
Among those reportedly called up by Putin is Bilyaletdinov, according to the former player’s father.
“Yes, Diniyar received a summons,”
“It’s hard to talk about emotions, because he didn’t serve, although he did military service, but it was specific, with a sports bias. That was 19 years ago. That is, yes, he took the oath, but served in the sports line.
“The law still says – to call people up to 35 years old, and he is 37, so there is some kind of inconsistency. Now it will be found out whether this agenda is correct or it was sent early. Anything can happen.”
“If there was a general mobilization, then ask questions in the meantime, the president has established a partial one, everything should be in accordance with the law.”
Rinat Bilyaletdinov reportedly said in an interview with Sport24.
Bilyaletdinov, who was born in Moscow, represented Russia 46 times as a player, scoring six times while helping the team to the semi-finals of Euro 2008.
