EURO 2016: Five things to know about Ukraine

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The country that produced Andriy Shevchenk, Anatoly Tymoshcuk and Sergiy Rebrov is in need of a football hero.

After breaking away from the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine did not reach the finals of a major tournament until 2006, but they did reach the World Cup quarter finals then.

Co-hosting the European Championship finals in 2012 ended badly, they crashed out in the first round group after defeats to France and England.

They reached Euro 2016 through a playoff win over Slovenia -- the first time in five playoffs for the World Cup or a Euro that Ukraine held their nerve to qualify.

Ukraine are led by Anatoliy Tymoshchuk who will be looking to get closer to 150 caps at Euro 2016. He is currently on 142.

Now 37 but battling valiantly on, Tymochchuk starting playing for the national team in 2000.

"Every international is very important for me – it's always a new opponent and a new challenge," he said as he reached 100 caps in 2010.

He has played for Shaktar Donetsk, won the old UEFA Cup with Zenit St Petersburg, and German titles with Bayern Munich.

Since 2015 he has been with FC Kairat in Kazakhstan and helped them to the Kazakhstan Cup last year.

The atmosphere in the Ukraine dressing room will not be helped by tensions between stars from rival clubs Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev.

Dynamo's Andriy Yarmolenko, one of Ukraine's top players at Euro 2016, and Shakhtar's Taras Stepanenko were sent off after Yarmolenko kicked his rival during a league match in May.

Yarmolenko was reportedly angry because Stepanenko celebrated scoring a goal in front of Dynamo fans. Both face extended bans because of the incident.

European clubs will be watching Andriy Yarmalenko at Euro 2016.

British media say that English Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Everton are interested in the winger who scored the only goal in Ukraine's 1-0 friendly win over Wales in March.

Dynamo Kiev are reportedly hoping to make more than 30 million euros from any sale.

Success at Euro 2016 could help Mykhalylo Fomenko become Ukraine's longest serving coach since the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Traditionally it is not a stable job, with Fomenko the 17th coach or caretaker in that time.

Fomenko has been in the job since 2012. He is the eighth occupant of the post in the past decade, and in time he is just behind Oleg Blokhin who served five years over two tries at the job.