Henrikh Mkhitaryan facts for kids
Mkhitaryan with Manchester United in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 January 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 1.77 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Inter Milan | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–2006 | Pyunik | ||
| 2003–2004 | → São Paulo (loan) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2009 | Pyunik | 70 | (30) |
| 2009–2010 | Metalurh Donetsk | 37 | (12) |
| 2010–2013 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 72 | (38) |
| 2013–2016 | Borussia Dortmund | 90 | (23) |
| 2016–2018 | Manchester United | 39 | (5) |
| 2018–2020 | Arsenal | 39 | (8) |
| 2019–2020 | → Roma (loan) | 22 | (9) |
| 2020–2022 | Roma | 65 | (18) |
| 2022– | Inter Milan | 85 | (6) |
| National team | |||
| 2006–2007 | Armenia U17 | 5 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | Armenia U19 | 6 | (1) |
| 2008–2010 | Armenia U21 | 13 | (9) |
| 2007–2021 | Armenia | 95 | (32) |
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Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Armenian: Հենրիխ Մխիթարյան; born on January 21, 1989) is a professional footballer from Armenia. He plays as a midfielder for the Italian club Inter Milan. Many people consider him the best Armenian football player ever.
Mkhitaryan won four Armenian league titles with Pyunik. He then joined Metalurh Donetsk in 2009. In 2010, he moved to Shakhtar Donetsk. At Shakhtar, Mkhitaryan set a record for goals scored in the Ukrainian league during the 2012–13 season. He was also named the league's Footballer of the Year. After winning several trophies in Ukraine, he joined the German club Borussia Dortmund. This made him the most expensive Armenian player at that time.
With Borussia Dortmund, he won the German Supercup in 2014. In the 2015–16 season, he made the most assists in the German league. He then moved to Manchester United, becoming the first Armenian to play in the Premier League. He helped Manchester United win the FA Community Shield and the UEFA Europa League title. Later, Mkhitaryan played for Arsenal and then for Roma in Italy. In 2022, he joined Inter Milan.
Mkhitaryan played for the Armenian national team from 2007 until he retired from international football in 2022. He is Armenia's all-time top goalscorer, with 32 goals in 95 matches. He also scored Armenia's first ever hat-trick. He has been named Armenian Footballer of the Year twelve times. He was also voted the best player from post-Soviet countries in 2012 and 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was born on January 21, 1989, in Yerevan, Armenia. His father, Hamlet Mkhitaryan, was also a famous football player. Sadly, his father passed away when Henrikh was seven years old. Henrikh feels that his father's advice helped him a lot.
His mother works for the Football Federation of Armenia. His older sister works at UEFA. In the early 1990s, his family lived in France, where his father played football. Henrikh always wanted to be a football player, just like his dad. He started playing in the youth system of FC Pyunik in 1995.
When he was 14, Mkhitaryan had trials with São Paulo in Brazil. He trained with future stars like Hernanes and Oscar. He later returned to Pyunik. Growing up, his football hero was Zinedine Zidane. Mkhitaryan also studied economics and planned to study law.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Pyunik
Mkhitaryan joined the FC Pyunik youth team in 1995. He started playing for the main team in 2006 when he was 17. In his four seasons with Pyunik, they won the Armenian Premier League four times (2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009). They also won the Armenian Supercup twice and the Armenian Cup once. His coach believed he would become a legend.
Moving to Ukraine
In 2009, Mkhitaryan moved to the Ukrainian club Metalurh Donetsk. He scored a goal in his very first game for them. In 2010, at just 21 years old, he became the youngest captain in Metalurh Donetsk's history.
Later in 2010, he joined Shakhtar Donetsk. He quickly became a key player. In his first season, Shakhtar won the league, the Ukrainian Cup, and the Super Cup. In the 2012–13 season, he scored 25 league goals. This set a new record for the most goals in a single Ukrainian Premier League season. He was praised for his skill and hard work.
Playing in Germany for Borussia Dortmund
In 2013, Mkhitaryan joined Borussia Dortmund in Germany. This was a big move, making him the most expensive player in the club's history at the time. He quickly showed his talent, scoring goals and providing assists.
In 2014, he won his first trophy with Dortmund, the 2014 DFL-Supercup, against Bayern Munich. In the 2015–16 season, he was amazing. He scored many goals and had 15 assists, which was the most in the German league. At the end of that season, other players in the league voted him as the best player.
Time in England with Manchester United and Arsenal
In 2016, Mkhitaryan moved to Manchester United, becoming the first Armenian to play in the English Premier League. He made his debut in the FA Community Shield, which Manchester United won. He scored his first goal for the club in the UEFA Europa League. He also scored a famous "scorpion kick" goal against Sunderland, which he called the best goal he had ever scored. He helped Manchester United win the Europa League in 2017, scoring a goal in the final. This made him the first Armenian to win a major European trophy.
In 2018, Mkhitaryan joined Arsenal as part of a player swap deal. He quickly made an impact, getting three assists in his first start. He scored against his former team, Manchester United, but chose not to celebrate out of respect. He continued to score goals and provide assists for Arsenal.
A big moment happened before the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final in Azerbaijan. Because of political issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Mkhitaryan decided not to travel for safety reasons.
Moving to Italy with Roma and Inter Milan
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In 2019, Mkhitaryan moved to the Italian club A.S. Roma on loan, and then permanently in 2020. He scored on his debut for Roma. He continued to be an important player, scoring many goals and helping the team. In 2022, he helped Roma win the UEFA Europa Conference League, which was another European trophy for him.
In 2022, Mkhitaryan signed with Inter Milan. He quickly became a key player for them. In 2023, he scored an important goal against Milan in the Champions League semifinals. On June 10, 2023, he became the first Armenian to play in the UEFA Champions League final. In the 2023–24 season, he helped Inter Milan win the Serie A league title.
International Career
Mkhitaryan first played for the Armenia national team in 2007. He became their top goalscorer in history in 2013, passing the previous record. He scored many important goals for his country. In 2016, he scored Armenia's first ever international hat-trick in a friendly game. He retired from international football in March 2022.
How He Plays
Mkhitaryan is an attacking midfielder. This means he plays in the middle of the field, helping to create chances for goals. He can also play as a winger (on the side of the field). He is known for his great dribbling skills, smart passes, and ability to score goals. He works very hard on the field.
Coaches and other players have praised him for his creativity, speed, powerful shot, and ability to get into good scoring positions.
Personal Life
Mkhitaryan is very good at languages. He speaks eight languages: Armenian, French, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian, English, Italian, and German! He learned some of these languages while playing football in different countries. When he scored goals for Shakhtar Donetsk, the stadium would play "Sabre Dance" by an Armenian composer, which became very popular.
In June 2019, Mkhitaryan married Betty Vardanyan. They had a son named Hamlet in March 2020.
His fans in Armenia often call him Heno, which is a short and friendly version of his name. When he joined Borussia Dortmund, some international fans started calling him Micki. At first, he didn't like it because he wanted people to respect his Armenian family name. But later, his coach Jürgen Klopp explained that his last name was just too long to say easily, and Mkhitaryan accepted the nickname.
Awards and Recognition
In 2012, Mkhitaryan was named an "Honorary Citizen of Yerevan" for his achievements in football. He has also visited Artsakh for charity work. During a conflict in 2020, he spoke out to ask for peace and support for Artsakh.
Honours
Pyunik
- Armenian Premier League: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
- Armenian Cup: 2009
- Armenian Supercup: 2007, 2008
Shakhtar Donetsk
- Ukrainian Premier League: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
- Ukrainian Cup: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
- Ukrainian Super Cup: 2012
Borussia Dortmund
- DFL-Supercup: 2014
Manchester United
- EFL Cup: 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2016
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
Roma
- UEFA Europa Conference League: 2021–22
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2023–24
- Coppa Italia: 2022–23
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2022, 2023
Individual Awards
- Armenian Footballer of the Year: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024
- Footballer of the Year in Baltic and Commonwealth of Independent States: 2012, 2013
- Ukrainian Premier League Best Player: 2012–13
- Ukrainian Premier League Top Scorer: 2012–13
- Bundesliga assist leader: 2015–16
- Premier League Goal of the Month: December 2016
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016–17
Images for kids
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Mkhitaryan playing for Metalurh Donetsk in 2009
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Mkhitaryan playing for Shakhtar Donetsk in 2011
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Mkhitaryan preparing to take a free kick against West Ham United during the 2017–18 Premier League
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Mkhitaryan (right) with Alex Iwobi playing for Arsenal in 2018
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Mkhitaryan with Armenia in 2014
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A poster of Mkhitaryan on a balcony in Yerevan, Armenia
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See also
In Spanish: Henrij Mjitarián para niños
