Luke Wilkshire, a former Dynamo Moscow defender, turns 45 on Friday.
Luke was born in Wollongong, on the coast of the Tasman Sea. Until the age of 15, he played football in his hometown, after which he moved first to the capital of Australia, and a little later to England, where he began playing for the Middlesbrough youth team. Wilkshire played only 24 games for the main team, after which he went to Bristol City, where he got stronger in three seasons and played more than a hundred matches.
During this time, he managed to make his debut in the Australian national team and play at the World Cup in Germany under the leadership of Guus Hiddink. According to rumors, it was the future coach of the Russian national team who contributed to Luke's transfer to the Dutch Twente, where he continued to progress and made his debut in European competitions.
In 2008, Wilkshire got to Moscow and initially played in the center of the field after Danny's departure, later focusing on the right edge of the defense. From the very first matches, he was remembered for his tough game and huge amount of work, quickly winning the love of the blue and white fans, as well as the bronze medal of the Russian championship.
Then there were five more bright seasons in which Luke was a solid foundation player, leaving for Holland and returning to Dynamo, which he helped return to the RPL in the 2016/17 season. In total, he played 170 matches for the blue and white (the second figure for Dynamo legionnaires after Leandro Fernandez) and scored two goals.
Wilkshire finished his career at his hometown club Wollongong Wolves in 2018, after which he became her coach. Later he worked in the Australian youth national team, and in 2025 he returned to Wollongong and still leads the Wolves.
The first Australian in the history of the RPL always warmly remembers his Dynamo past and is happy to come to Russia, so we will hear the loud chant "Luke! Luke! Luke!".