Mkhitaryan: "Proud to be here, I want to help the team win"

MILAN – From the first Armenian in the history of Serie A to the first Armenian to play for Inter. This is what Henrikh Mkhitaryan had to say in his exclusive interview with Inter TV.

Welcome to Inter, Henrikh: how are you feeling right now?“I’m delighted, I feel really good. I’m happy to be an Inter player and I can’t wait to start training with the team and playing in the Inter shirt.”

You’ve scored three goals and registered one assist in seven appearances against Inter. Perhaps you already had a special connection to these colours…"I don’t know why, but I’ve managed to play very well against Inter. I’ve scored and provided an assist. It was great to face the Nerazzurri, but now I can’t wait to play and score in this shirt.”

From the first Armenian in the history of Serie A to the first Armenian to play for Inter: what does this mean to you and what does it mean for a child from Yerevan to join one of the most prestigious sides in Europe?"I always dreamt of playing in the most important leagues in the world. I’m happy that I’ve already spent three years in Italy, and now I’m proud to be an Inter player. There are children that look at me and have the same dream I had. They want to be part of Serie A and I hope to be an example for them.”

Youri Djorkaeff, a former Inter player, also has Armenian roots. Was Youri an example for you to follow? How determined are you to do what he did and leave a mark on Inter’s history?"Djorkaeff was one of my idols; when I was young, I always used to follow him, and I also have a photo with him. Youri was an exceptional player, he scored many goals at Inter and left his mark on the Club’s history. I also want to leave a mark and win trophies with this team as we look to achieve our objectives.”

During your career, you’ve worn important shirts and always achieved excellent results. Have you already spoken to Coach Simone Inzaghi? What are you expecting?"Yes, we’ve talked and I’d like to thank him for his words. We’ll need to work together, and I want to show that I’m here to play and help the team. After all, the most important thing is to manage to win together.”

You probably can’t wait to start the new season, just like the Nerazzurri fans. Do you have a message for them?"Obviously, I can’t wait to get going. I’d like to thank the fans for the support they’ve shown me and the messages I’ve received. We look forward to seeing them at the stadium with the aim of winning together.”