Socceroos striker Nikita Rukavytsya has announced his retirement from professional football. In a career spanning close to 17 years, the 37-year old former Perth Glory, Western Sydney Wanderers and Western United player took to social media to confirm he was hanging up the boots having been without a club since leaving Western United at the end of the 2023/24 season.
“After such a long and incredible journey it’s time for me to step aside,” Nikita said. “We both know no matter what I do next, I will always be that 6 year old boy with a ball under my arm walking out to play on the street and after every goal picturing a celebration with a full stadium screaming my name! To all my teams, teammates, coaches, all the staff workers from all of my clubs and national team, big thank you, I appreciate every single one of you.”
Ukraine-born Nikita played as a teenager for Inglewood United and Perth SC before joining Glory as an injury-replacement during the 2006/07 A-League season. He subsequently signed a permanent contract with the A-League club and went on to make 47 appearances and score 18 goals. In 2008 he was awarded the Harry Kewell Medal as the competition’s under-23 player of the year.
In mid-2009 Nikita sealed a move to Dutch side FC Twente, from where he was loaned for the second half of the season to Belgium outfit Roeselare. Twelve months later he switched to Hertha Berlin, playing 59 games for the 2. Bundesliga side. Spells with German clubs Mainz 05 and FSV Frankfurt followed.
Nikita briefly returned to Australia to sign a one-year deal with Western Sydney Wanderers for the 2014/15 campaign. Eight seasons in Israel with Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Be’er Sheva were rewarded with two Israeli Premier League titles, one Israeli State Cup and two Israeli Premier League top-goalscorer trophies.
A third and final season in the A-League took Nikita’s professional tallies to 485 games and 145 goals at club level. On the international stage, Nikita earned 23 caps for Australia and was part of the Socceroos’ 2010 World Cup squad in South Africa. He also represented Australia at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
