Ukrainian female professional footballer Tatyana Kozyrenko, a member of the national team, wants to continue her football career in Turkey after quitting CSKA Moscow over the Russian invasion.

Kozyrenko joined the Turkish side 1207 Antalyaspor after the war broke out and scored a brilliant hat trick on debut against Turkish heavyweight Beşiktaş last Sunday.

On leaving the Russian league in the wake of the invasion, the 26-year-old said "I cannot express my feeling in words. There was no reason for me to stay there anymore and I left."

"I played an official match after a long break. I took my chances. Antalya and Turkish hospitality also gave me strength," she told state broadcaster TRT.

"I would like to thank President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan and the Turkish people," she added.

Team manager Tamer Ay said "We are very pleased with her performance. I hope she will perform on the same level in the upcoming matches. We expect her to continue performing well. I am sure she will be one of our most influential players."