Express & Star

Wolves players wear No To War t-shirts before West Ham match

Wolves star Ruben Neves was one of several players to wear anti-war T-shirts whilst warming up for his team's game against West Ham.

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Ruben Neves warms up yesterday wearing a t-shirt with ‘No To War’ on it, to indicate peace and sympathy with Ukraine prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at London Stadium on February 27, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images).

Club captain Conor Coady also wore the black "No To War" T-shirt at the London Stadium on Sunday, as did teammates Romain Saiss, Jose Sa and Ki-Jana Hoever.

Players are not able to make political statements during matches but most of the Wolves players chose to make their own protest over Russia invading Ukraine before the game.

West Ham's Ukrainian star Andriy Yarmolenko was allowed to miss the match due to the escalating violence and casualties in his homeland.

Before the match West Ham captain Declan Rice held up Yarmolenko's shirt to the crowd and received rapturous applause.

Over the weekend across the country wore No To War t-shirts and banners were unfurled at Goodison Park, where two Ukrainian players were playing in the Everton and Manchester City game.

In Saturday's match between Aston Villa and Brighton, Villa goal scorer and Polish international Matt Cash was given a yellow card for lifting his top to reveal a supportive message to an international teammate who is stranded in the Ukraine.