Armenia's Team Captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan Celebrates 32nd Birthday Today

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the captain of the Armenia national football team and midfielder for AS Roma, is celebrating his 32nd birthday today. Born on January 21, 1989, in Yerevan, he spent his early years in France, as his father, Hamlet Habetnaki Mkhitaryan, a player for Yerevan's Ararat, played for French clubs in the 1990s. After the untimely death of his father, Henrikh Mkhitaryan returned to Armenia with his family.

From a young age, he dreamed of becoming a football player like his father, and he achieved that goal. Henrikh Mkhitaryan took his first steps in football with Yerevan's FC Pyunik. He later played for Donetsk's Metallurg and Shakhtar teams. In 2013, he moved to Borussia Dortmund, becoming the first Armenian footballer to compete in Germany's Bundesliga.

In the summer of 2016, he joined English club Manchester United, winning the UEFA Europa League in 2017, thus becoming Armenia's first representative among the thousands of UEFA trophy winners. On January 22, 2018, he signed a four-year contract with London’s Arsenal. Since early September 2019, he has been on loan with AS Roma.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is the all-time top scorer for both Armenia's national and youth teams. He was named Armenia's best football player for the 10th time last year. He has been an honorary citizen of Yerevan since 2012 and has served as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador in Armenia since November 2016.