YEREVAN, JULY 12, ARMENPRESS. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, midfielder of Armenia’s national football team and London’s Arsenal, talked about playing at the national team at the youth level in an interview to UEFA’s official site.

Asked what was it like pulling on the Armenia shirt for the first time at youth level, what he felt, Mkhitaryan said he felt very proud. “It has always been a pleasure for me to play in the national team, particularly because we were competing against different national teams and players. It was a very good experience for us at that age, as we wouldn’t play that type of match every week in our league”, he said.       

Mkhitaryan’s favorite player at that time was Zinédine Zidane. “He was a Picasso on the pitch. He was incredible with the ball, performing magic”, the Armenian midfielder said.

Mkhitaryan said in Armenia everyone loves football. “I think people are very happy to host this competition [U19 Euro-2019 Championship] as it is a great opportunity to watch the future stars of European football. My advice would be to have fun and enjoy every moment, because these kind of games, and this competition, are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I wish the best of luck to every player”, he said.

The U-19 Euro-2019 Championship will take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from June 14 to 27.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan