Mikhail Polendakov

Mihail Polendakov made his debut for Septemvri Sofia on 30 October 2022, aged 15 years and just over four months, making him one of the youngest players to appear in the Bulgarian First League. He had come through the club's youth system after arriving from DIT Sofia in 2018, and he signed his first professional contract the following April. Between 2022 and 2024, the defender split his appearances between the reserve side in the Second League, where he scored once in 24 matches, and the senior squad, for whom he played 40 times without scoring. He had already collected a Second League winner's medal with Septemvri Sofia in 2021–22, though that came before he had broken into the first team.

In July 2025, Polendakov moved abroad, joining Sheffield United in the EFL Championship on a contract running to 2028. He spent the season without making a first-team appearance for the English club before returning to Bulgaria in July 2026 on a season-long loan to Ludogorets Razgrad, with an option to make the move permanent. By August, he had featured once for Ludogorets' first team and twice for the reserve side.

At international level, Polendakov has progressed through Bulgaria's youth ranks, representing the under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 sides. He captained the under-17 team, for whom he scored twice in fourteen appearances, and made his under-21 debut in March 2025, going on to earn ten caps at that level.