Former English Premier League player Diniyar Bilyaletdinov summoned to fight for Russian military amid 'partial mobilization' efforts

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN

Updated 0947 GMT (1747 HKT) September 29, 2022

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov played three seasons for English Premier League club Everton.

(CNN)Former Everton and Russian national team soccer player Diniyar Bilyaletdinov received a summons from Russia's military registration and enlistment office, his father, Rinat Bilyaletdinov, told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

«Diniyar really received a summons. It's hard to talk about emotions, because he didn't serve, although he did military service, but it was specific, with a sports bias. That was 19 years ago,» the player's father said.Rinat Bilyaletdinov argued that Diniyar was incorrectly summoned as he is older than the cutoff age of 35 years old.«The law still says — to call people up to 35 years old, and he is 37, so there is some kind of inconsistency. Now it will be found out whether this agenda is correct or it was sent early,» said Rinat Bilyaletdinov per RIA Novosti. «Anything can happen. If there was a general mobilization, then ask questions. In the meantime, the president has established a partial one, everything should be in accordance with the law.»Read MoreUkrainian Premier League match halted four times by air raid sirens and takes over four hours to completeLast week, President Vladimir Putin announced the immediate «partial mobilization» of Russian citizens, in an effort to bolster the Kremlin's faltering invasion, following Ukraine's gains in its ongoing counteroffensive.As part of the mobilization efforts, Russia will call up 300,000 reservists, according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.Putin moved to amend the country's Criminal Code over the weekend and strengthen punishments relating to military service during times of