Before the first ball of the 2018 World Cup was kicked at the Luzhniki Stadium on June 14 and fans and journalists alike were scouring the web for any factoids and tidbits to gain insight into the Russian national team - one curious incident stood out for benchwarmer Denis Cheryshev.
In fact, it was probably one of precious few facts most already knew about any of the host nation’s players.
In December 2015, Cheryshev scored his first competitive goal for Real Madrid in a routine 3-0 win over Cadiz in the Copa Del Rey round of 32.