Genrih Mhytaryan

Genrih Mhytaryan

Armenian footballer, midfielder for the Shakhtar Donetsk club and the Armenian national team.
Date of Birth: 21.01.1989
Country: Armenia

Content:
  1. Early Life and Career
  2. Return to Armenia and Youth Academy
  3. Professional Debut at Pjunik
  4. Breakthrough with Metalurh Donetsk
  5. Captaincy at Metalurh and Transfer to Shakhtar Donetsk
  6. Success at Shakhtar Donetsk
  7. Later Career and Achievements

Early Life and Career

Born on January 21, 1989, in Yerevan, Henrikh Mkhitaryan hails from a footballing family. In 1990, he relocated to France with his father, Hamlet Mkhitaryan, a professional footballer. During his time in France, Henrikh developed his French language skills.

Return to Armenia and Youth Academy

Following his father's passing, Henrikh returned to Yerevan with his family and enrolled in the Pjunik football academy. At the age of 14, he embarked on a four-month internship at the Brazilian club São Paulo, where he honed his skills and established connections with footballers such as Hernanes, Lucas, Oscar, and Denilson.

Professional Debut at Pjunik

Mkhitaryan commenced his professional career with Pjunik in Yerevan. As a key figure in the club, he made his debut in the Armenian Premier League in 2006, scoring his first goal against Shirak. In 2009, he led the league's scoring charts with 11 goals, attracting attention from clubs like Lokomotiv Moscow, Dynamo Kyiv, Boca Juniors, Lyon, and Lille.

Breakthrough with Metalurh Donetsk

In June 2009, Mkhitaryan joined Metalurh Donetsk. He made his debut in the Ukrainian Premier League against Dnipro and quickly became an integral part of the team. In his debut season, he was named the Metallurg Player of the Season and received the Armenian Footballer of the Year Award.

Captaincy at Metalurh and Transfer to Shakhtar Donetsk

During the 2010-2011 season, Mkhitaryan became the captain of Metallurg Donetsk. In August 2010, amidst interest from various clubs, he signed a five-year contract with Shakhtar Donetsk for a transfer fee of $7.5 million.

Success at Shakhtar Donetsk

At Shakhtar, Mkhitaryan thrived, becoming the club's Player of the Season in 2011-2012. In 2012, he made history by becoming the first Armenian player to score in the UEFA Champions League. He also set a new record for the most goals scored in the first half of the Ukrainian Premier League, with 18 goals.

Later Career and Achievements

Mkhitaryan's impressive performances led to successful stints with Manchester United, Arsenal, and AS Roma. He has earned numerous individual accolades, including the UEFA Europa League Player of the Season, the Premier League Player of the Month, and the Armenian Footballer of the Year Award on multiple occasions.

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