Denis Samoylov

In 2016, while on the books of Yenisey's youth setup in Krasnoyarsk, Denis Samoylov was awarded the "Goryachee Serdtse" ("Hot Heart") badge after helping to apprehend a robber in the city — an episode that stands apart from anything he has done on a pitch.

His path to the professional game ran through a string of clubs outside the top flight: Nosta Novotroitsk, Tekstilshchik Ivanovo, the amateur side Lada Dimitrovgrad and Olymp Dolgoprudny, before he returned to Yenisey Krasnoyarsk in January 2020. He reached the semi-finals of the Russian Cup with Yenisey in the 2021–2022 season. A loan spell took him to Tyumen between July 2023 and June 2024, where he made 30 appearances and scored once in the FNL. It was during that loan, in November 2023, that Samoylov drew wider attention for wearing a shirt reading "Number one bullshit" in response to criticism from figures connected to the Media Football League.

He returned to Yenisey in June 2024 for a further season before moving on in January 2025. FC Chelyabinsk paid a reported €50,000 to sign him, and he has since become a regular fixture in midfield there, making 41 appearances for the main squad. He also featured for Chelyabinsk-2, scoring once in 16 matches for the reserve side in the Second League Division A.