Mkhitaryan admits Man Utd pressure

Henrik Mkhitaryan has admitted that the pressure of playing for Manchester United is such that if you do not perform you will be out of the team quickly.

The Armenian struggled for minutes in the early part of the season, not playing a single minute during an eight-game league stretch before finally breaking back into the team near the end of November.

Big things were expected of the attacker after his summer move from Borussia Dortmund and it is only in recent months that the 27-year-old is living up to his billing, including a scoring man-of-the-match display at Leicester City on Sunday.

But Mkhitaryan is under no illusions abut what a fall in his standards will bring him.

“Manchester United are not just any football club,” he told German publication, SportBild.

“A part of the association with this club means to be part of a great story.

“That also means when you play for United you must always be ready, always try to get the best from yourself.

“If you keep trying to do this and produce the performance, then you always get a chance. But if you do not, then you are out quickly.

“I did not want to later look back in my life and say, ‘Why would you not make times change?’.

“I do not want to miss a thing. Life is too short, too short to pass this opportunity up.

“Sure, my agent Mino Raiola helped me in this, but in the end the decision for Manchester United — I made that alone.

“Then you have to be prepared. So I have prepared myself. I read about the history of England, of Manchester. I wanted to know how people here live, their interests.

“I also analysed English football. The important thing was you have to be mentally ready.”

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