Man United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan brings Armenia with him: NYT

Man United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan brings Armenia with him: NYT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The New York Times in a fresh article published on Wednesday, May 24 dwells upon the path that Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has passed since stepping in the world of profesionall football.

Mkhitaryan has battled “to win a place and establish his presence at Manchester United; a collection of wonderful, occasionally gravity-defying goals once he settled in; and then, as the campaign reached its climax, a relentless workload — games piling up in great drifts, culminating in Wednesday’s Europa League final against Ajax in Stockholm,” the publication said.

Mkhitaryan says he does not resent it; he would like to think victory against Ajax would not only provide him with a medal but also give others the chance “to find out what Armenia is, where it is.”

It is eight years now since Mkhitaryan left. In the intervening years, he has played for four clubs (Metalurh and Shakhtar Donetsk, in Ukraine; Borussia Dortmund in Germany; and now United) and picked up four languages (English, German, Russian and Ukrainian) to add to the three that he already spoke (Armenian, French and Portuguese).

In retrospect, it has all been worth it, he says.

Mkhitaryan already ranks as the finest player his country has produced, and should United beat Ajax on Wednesday, he will be the first Armenian to win a major European trophy.

"In his eyes, that is more than a piece of trivia. There is a particular burden on high-profile athletes from low-profile countries; voluntarily or not, they are compelled to play the part of ambassador and evangelist for their nations, charged with presenting the country’s face to the world," the Times says.

Mkhitaryan says he does not resent it; he would like to think victory against Ajax would not only provide him with a medal but also give others the chance “to find out what Armenia is, where it is.”

Mkhitaryan has been a key figure in Manchester United's Europa League run with his skills coming to the fore against continental opposition.

The Armenian has received the club's Goal of the Month award in three of the last four months and is eager to become more potent in 2017-18.

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