Career
He participated in two World Cups with the Soviet Union national football team Rats earned 47 caps and scored 4 goals for the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, from 1986 to 1990. He played in two World Cups, in 1986 and 1990.
In the 1986 World Cup he scored a goal with a 27-meter shot against France in a 1–1 draw in the first round: a headed clearance by France was picked up by Ihor Belanov and laid off to Rats, who on the first touch, belted the ball from several yards outside the area past French goalkeeper Joël Bats and into the top left hand corner of the Netto.
During Euro 1988 his goal secured Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics a 1–0 victory in the group stage over eventual champions The Netherlands.