Nikita Haikin has the image pinned to his social media profiles. The photograph was taken during the warm-up to Bodo/Glimt’s Europa Conference League knockout tie against AZ Alkmaar last season and, in it, the Norwegian club’s Russian goalkeeper is facing away from the camera displaying the lyrics, plucked from John Lennon’s signature song, emblazoned on the back of his T-shirt.
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“Imagine all the people, livin’ life in peace.”
The home side’s entire matchday squad wore the bright yellow tops prior to kick-off at the Aspmyra Stadium that night, the peace sign resplendent across their chests, for the team’s first competitive game after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yet the collective gesture was given far more clout by Haikin’s willingness — no, eagerness — to lead the way.
Some might suggest a Russian making his stance so clear on the conflict was brave. That it carried an inherent risk. “But I’m not as brave as other people out there,” he says. “It’s the least I can do, you know — to express what I feel. The very least I can do… because whether I like it or not, I am related to this situation. I cannot just close my eyes like many people do and not speak, or (not) worry about certain things.
“You know people, human beings, are quite interesting. They get used to things. They adapt to certain situations regardless of how crazy they may seem or how much panic they could involve. But that’s a trap. You shouldn’t adapt. You shouldn’t forget.
“I would do a lot more if I could, really. Some smart people, maybe, have stopped me from doing so. I want to do more. I want to contribute more. I want to spread awareness. The majority of people know where I stand, but it’s probably not enough. I think I need to do more.”
Haikin is a remarkable character. His tortuous journey from a non-playing member of Chelsea’s academy, a talented goalkeeper whose progress was constantly frustrated by visa issues before a slog of fruitless trials in search of a professional deal, to title-winning success with Glimt is extraordinary in itself. These days he showcases his talent on the European stage for the club from the Arctic Circle. He has excelled as a key member of Kjetil Knutsen’s expertly-drilled side, a team who have humiliated Roma and Celtic, and severely stretched AC Milan, over the past few seasons against all odds.
On Thursday, Glimt will attempt to unsettle the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, at the Emirates Stadium as they seek to maintain an unbeaten start to their Europa League group campaign. For Haikin — born in Israel, raised in Moscow but a resident in London for much of his life and, now, a UK citizen — the tie is a homecoming of sorts. An occasion to relish. But he is conscious, too, that he will draw the focus for other reasons.
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With bans imposed on their domestic clubs, only three Russians are involved in UEFA competition this season, with Haikin joined by Monaco’s Aleksandr Golovin and the back-up goalkeeper at Bayer Leverkusen, Andrey Lunev. There is nothing to celebrate in being one of the few.
He describes that grim reality as “horrible”, “sad” and “not good for Russian sport”. He is pained by the sequence of events that has brought them to this. The goalkeeper had been an active member of his country’s national setup when he wore that T-shirt before the AZ tie. He had progressed through the Russia junior squads and sat on the bench for the senior side’s past two World Cup qualifiers, against Cyprus and Croatia, the previous November.
Haikin’s international career was only just beginning but it has stalled following the conflict between Russia and Ukraine (Photo: Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)Yet in the days prior to the game with AZ, as Europe digested the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and both FIFA and UEFA imposed their bans, Russia became pariahs. The national head coach, Valeri Karpin, has selected only domestic-based players for squad get-togethers since, technically for logistical reasons. The clubs survey the Champions League and Europa Leagues from afar this term.
Haikin had other concerns. He found retaining his own focus at Glimt was hard enough and admits it “was difficult to wake up and go and train” knowing what was happening in Ukraine. He found the situation “overwhelming” and “didn’t really think” about the implications on his future when making clear his stance on the war, or posting, “My message is quite simple. We all want peace. No ifs or buts” to accompany the photograph on his Twitter and Instagram pages.
As proud as he had been to represent Russia, there were bigger issues at stake.
My message is quite simple. We all want peace. No ifs or buts.
Enjoyed that atmosphere at the Aspmyra and what a great result it is before the 2nd leg in the Netherlands! 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/ImdIKsgW6R
— Nikita Haikin (@Nikita1Haikin) March 11, 2022As there had been, too, when he backed UNICEF’s efforts to extricate children from the conflict in the days after the invasion. Or, indeed, when he retweeted posts condemning the imprisonment of political figures in Russia.
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Haikin has acknowledged many in Russia are afraid to speak out but, given his cosmopolitan background, describes himself as “European minded”. “For me, that means I’m a more ‘democrat liberal’ minded person (in terms of) freedom,” he says. “I like freedom of speech. I like how people can integrate regardless of their religion, the colour of their skin, where they’re from and their sexual interests. That’s all, you know. I think that’s crucial. Especially now. To remind ourselves that this is… that democracy is not perfect, but it’s the best we have right now.
“Look, I’m quite sober about what I can and cannot control, don’t get me wrong. But when it all started (in February in Ukraine), I didn’t know it would still be going on and would have taken such a turn. In my opinion, what I can control is to remind people that military conflict is not an option. This situation is difficult. We should all come to peace. The situation has to be resolved now. It has to be.
“Look, let’s hope for a better future. Let’s hope for peaceful times soon.”
The fixture at the Emirates will be Haikin’s first competitive game in England, which seems unlikely given he has held a UK passport since 2021 and spent so much time with Chelsea, Reading and Portsmouth in his youth.
He and his family had moved to west London back in 2009 but, as an Israeli and Russian citizen — countries outside the European Union — the young goalkeeper was never granted international clearance to feature in official matches at any of the English clubs where he trained. There were constant promises the situation would resolve itself, and that there would be opportunities away from mere friendly fixtures. But, in effect, he was condemned to life as a long-term trialist.
“It was mostly confusing… really confusing in the beginning,” he says. “I was looking forward to competing. I’ve loved training since I was a kid, but to compete is something else. It’s vital to play consistently in that period of your life — especially for a goalkeeper, regardless of the level — but I missed out on maybe three or four years of time not playing. In the end, I kind of got used to it, which was also a problem. You kind of lose focus in what you’re preparing for.
“I do feel that not being able to play during that time has influenced the rest of my career. It costs you a competitive edge… as well as experience. For a goalkeeper, you’ve got to concede your goals, to test yourself in difficult situations and taste every scenario that comes with competitive games. It’s a must. I didn’t have that.”
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The goalkeeper would soak up whatever knowledge he could from watching Petr Cech working with the first team under Luiz Felipe Scolari and Guus Hiddink at Chelsea’s headquarters in Cobham, Surrey. The culture around the complex, which had only recently been opened, was an eye-opener for a youngster previously schooled at Torpedo and Dinamo Moscow.
Bodo/Glimt have four points from their opening two Europa League games (Photo: Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images)“It was a fantastic experience being a kid there, but one thing I learned was that, despite being in that academy, it doesn’t guarantee you’re going to make it. For the young generations, the children, they need to understand they must put in hard work and seek motivation. The academy is great, but there are no guarantees. No certainties.”
There was a more productive spell playing for the under-19s at Portugal’s Nacional on the island of Madeira, the teenager’s first taste of life away from his family, though his career became ever more nomadic thereafter. He signed professional terms at Marbella only for the visa issues to flare up once again with the Spanish authorities and deny him the chance to play. He spent time back in Russia and Israel but, in the summer of 2018, found himself a free agent with his career drifting in obscurity.
The sense of helplessness had him contemplating quitting the game. “Not because of the frustration, but because I was simply without a club for so long,” he says. “I’ve been in that situation twice. Once after Portugal, when I relied too much on people promising me things. And second time after Israel from the end of May (2018). I was without a club for almost a year. That was really… challenging.
“Football is great, but you cannot continue if you’re not being paid and just training without a contract. I was really hating the whole industry and how the system works. At that point in my life there was no one there for me (in the game). I had to beg people to give me an opportunity.
“I didn’t want to give up. I love the game too much. It’s a blessing and I’m super grateful to be doing this. I love it endlessly. But being a free agent for that long, being rejected time after time from different clubs no matter where you go… and not because of what you’re capable of, but because of some other side of the business or people simply not wanting to believe in you. Thinking it’s too risky. Well, that affects your self-confidence.”
He had unsuccessful trials at Bradford City and trained at Stevenage while putting out more feelers to clubs abroad. He was rejected by Maastricht in the Netherlands, by a flurry of clubs in Finland and Russia, and even by clubs in the Norwegian second tier. When the invite was extended by Glimt, struggling near the foot of the country’s top division, he was initially reluctant to accept.
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“They were actually quite direct, saying they were looking for a back-up keeper,” he says. “All I knew was they were a club up north — I had to search for it — but to be a back-up? I was 23 and couldn’t waste another year sitting on the bench. And Glimt four years ago compared to Glimt now are almost totally different organisations. Totally different clubs. They were considered a team who fought to stay up back then. After all the rejections you can imagine you’re kind of like, ‘Okay, screw this. Why are they deciding whether I am good enough or not?’. So, yes, I didn’t want to go.
“But I spoke with my family and they convinced me: one more time. I’d been all over the place, so was I going to give up now? It was the first time in a while where I’d gone somewhere with no expectations. I just tried my best. After a week’s trial, we played a friendly game and I played the second half. I played brilliantly in my opinion, but I still had no guarantees. I was on the plane back home saying, ‘Okay, look, I’ve tried. I gave 100 per cent. If they don’t take me, no problem. I retire. My heart is pure now’. It was actually a weight off my shoulders.
“Two days later, they called me and asked me to come on a pre-season training camp in Spain. I never looked back.”
The opportunity has been seized. Haikin has been outstanding in Knutsen’s all-action side. His displays — all with calm authority and clever distribution while those ahead of him impose their frenzied press — helped claim the title in his first full season in 2020, establishing Glimt as the northernmost club to win a European league competition. They mounted a successful defence and, again, made an eye-catching impression in European competition the following season, reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, to earn the goalkeeper, now 27, that call-up to the Russia national squad. Clubs have duly taken note of his progress.
He has settled into life on the Bodo peninsula, away from the hubbub of west London. Haikin has taken up fishing and disappears off on the fjords to contemplate life when the team’s hectic schedule permits. He still marvels at the Northern Lights, which become a regular feature of the night sky as late autumn drifts into winter. “Every time I see them it feels like the first time,” he says. “You stand there and can’t comprehend this beauty. The difference to the speed of life here compared to London… well, it’s incomparable. But the calm means I can just concentrate on my football.”
More people should attend Thursday’s game at the Emirates than live in Bodo, northern Norway’s second-largest town, but the visitors are not to be underestimated.
“The manager stresses to us that it’s about the performance, not the result,” adds Haikin. “Otherwise you can be swept along by it all. People here have probably never even dreamt about this kind of journey — that, one day, a small team from the Arctic Circle would climb so high. It’s amazing to see how the club is improving, from the facilities to the infrastructure and organisation itself. They’ve plans to build a new stadium. More players want to join Glimt now than back in the day. And you know you’re not coming for the money. You’re here for the journey, for the project, the experience and the exposure. To take this club on.
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“I’ve learned so much. The manager’s style really suits me because my distribution is one of my strengths. I’m quite a modern goalkeeper in that regard and I’ve learned more about being a sweeper keeper, standing high and defending the space behind the back four, about being involved in the build-up play. That’s crucial to be a goalkeeper at Glimt.
“Look, it’s been a long road to get here. A hell of a ride. But I don’t take pride in this journey — not yet. Maybe I’m too harsh with myself and, perhaps, I have to take a minute and say how grateful I am. I know there are millions of guys out there who’d want my spot. That really humbles me. I’m grateful for everything I have achieved, but this is just the beginning.
“I don’t know what the future will bring and what exciting chapters lie ahead. But, for now, I’m just really enjoying the life I am living.”
(Top photo: Soccrates/Getty Images)
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