Ilya Zhigulev

Ilya Zhigulev has a Russian Cup winner's medal from the 2018–19 season. He made two appearances in the competition while on loan at Ural Yekaterinburg, the season the club won the trophy.

Zhigulev joined the FC Krasnodar academy in 2009 and came through it until 2013. His route to senior football ran through loans. He went first to Milsami Orhei, then made his senior debut for Krasnodar in 2017. Tosno, Ural and Rotor Volgograd followed on loan. He also played for Russia at U21 level, winning 17 caps and scoring twice between 2017 and 2018, including in UEFA U21 Championship qualifiers.

In August 2021 he left Krasnodar for Zagłębie Lubin in Poland. He stayed until April 2022, when the two parted by mutual consent. That September he signed for Pari NN of Nizhny Novgorod in the Russian Premier League. He remained there until January 2025.

He then dropped to the First League. He joined KAMAZ Naberezhnye Chelny on a free transfer in February 2025. In July of that year he moved to Chernomorets Novorossiysk, where he played 30 games and scored once in 2025–26.

On 1 June 2026 he arrived at Arsenal Tula on a free transfer, on a contract that runs to 30 June 2028. Across all competitions he has played more than 225 matches and scored around a dozen goals. He has not been capped by the senior national side.