Former Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley star Kadeem Harris joins footballing exodus from war-torn Ukraine

The 28-year-old who had a loan at Barnsley in 2015 was released by the Owls in the summer after two years at Hillsborough.

A trial at Reading convinced him to turn down offers from other Championship clubs but when a move failed to materialise, he joined Ukrainian second-tier side Metalist Kharkiv in September.

As the second largest city in Ukraine and only 40km from the Russian border, Kharkiv has been a major target of the invasion Vladimir Putin ordered last week.

So Westminster-born Harris, in keeping with many foreign professionals footballers, has taken the decision to leave.

“I’m still in shock from the events that have taken place in the last few days!” he posted on Instagram.

“A country that welcomed me with open arms, a country full of clean-hearted people is now under attack because they refuse to be bullied.

“I pray for Ukraine I pray for my team-mates whose families are in the middle of this disaster and I pray it all comes to an end ASAP! Thank you for all the messages and phone calls of concern. I can confirm I am safe and not in the country. Pray for Ukraine.”

Harris has played more than 600 minutes for Kharkiv, spread across 11 league starts, seven substitute appearances and three cup outings, one from the bench. He has scored twice.

Football in Ukraine has been suspended because of the conflict.

Ukraine Premier League leaders Shakhtar Donetsk worked with UEFA to evacuate their 12 Brazilian players to Romania, and said Dynamo Kyiv and SK Dnipro-1 have also managed to move foreign players from Ukraine.

FIFA and UEFA were forced to expel Russian teams from its competitions when a host of sides, including England, refused to play against them.