Rukavytsya netted six goals last season and caught the attention of national team boss Pim Verbeek.

The 21 year old recently returned from Beijing, where he played in the Olyroos campaign, with a trademark run and goal against the Jets last week.

“I’m very happy to be part of the Glory for the next few years,” Rukavytsya said.

“You have to have a great atmosphere around the club and I think we have that this season. The coach has done a lot of good things and we’ll be a strong team.

“He has also helped me in my own development and I know I will be able to continue to learn more under him.”

Glory coach Dave Mitchell, a former Socceroo and top shelf striker himself, is full of praise for Rukavytsya and believes Perth is the best place for the youngster to realise his full potential.

“The club has always had in mind to sign him to a longer contract because we want to keep the best talent here at Perth Glory,” Mitchell said.

“Nikita has great pace, great finesse and has that knack of scoring goals. You can see he is a class act.

"With his talent I have no doubt that a big overseas club will one day come in and make a bid for him, and we won’t stand in his way, however at this point of his career Perth is the best place for him and he obviously agrees.

“This is a great result for both the club and the player, it is fantastic to see Nikita wanting to repay the faith we put in him when we initially brought him to the Glory.”

Rukavytsya started his professional career as a short term replacement player for the final three matches of Glory’s 2006/07 season before signing a two year deal. He has netted on seven occasions in 25 appearances including a remarkable six times in nine matches to finish the 2007/08 season.

During a busy off-season Rukavytsya attended several Socceroos training camps plus a week long trial with German Bundesliga club Hannover 96. He also proudly represented Australia at the Olympic Games, playing in all three group matches and starting up front against Serbia and Côte d' Ivoire.

“It sends a very strong message to Glory fans that the club is being proactive and that we have set-up a culture here where players want to stay and be part of something exciting from this point forward,” Mitchell said.


Profile
Name: Nikita Rukavytsya (pron: Rook-a-vit-sa)
Nationality: Australian
Place of Birth: Ukraine
Date of Birth: 22 June 1987
Height: 183cm
Weight: 74kg
Position: Striker
Player Number: 13

Institutes & Academies: Australian Institute of Sport (2005-06)
Representative Honours: Australian U20’s & U23's, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games