“It was not a bad year,” Armenia captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan said, as he reflected on his first year with manchester United.
“I had a little bit of difficulties at the beginning of the season, but it’s part of football. I was ready for that mentally and physically. I could survive that moment and got a second chance to help the team, to score more goals,” Mkhitaryan said.
Speaking about the Premier League, Mkhitaryan said “watching it on TV is a little bit different, because you don’t see the pace, the quickness of the game.”
“Game by game I was trying to feel it and to adapt myself to the English Premier League. It wasn’t easy, but I think I did it well,” Mkhitaryan said.
The attacking midfielder endured a testing start to life at Old Trafford following a £26 million move from Borussia Dortmund.
He was hauled off at half-time on his first Premier League start against Manchester United in September and was barely seen again until late November.
Mkhitaryan’s class was, however, to shine through and he quickly became a key performer as the Red Devils added EFL Cup and Europa League crowns to a Community Shield success.
He ended the season in the best possible style, with his acrobatic goal in the Europa League final against Ajax earning United a 2-0 win, more major silverware and a place in next season’s Champions League.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was honored with Armenia’s 1st degree Medal for Services to the Motherland at a ceremony on Sunday.
