Tuesday 9:20 PM GMT
By Samuel Luckhurst
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has set the record straight after an unflattering picture of him modelling Manchester United ‘s new home kit was posted on Twitter.
The Armenian midfielder was accused of overindulging during the summer break when United released a promotional snap of him looking out of shape in their latest red adidas shirt.
After a number of comments pointed to what appeared to be his distinct paunch, the club quickly deleted the tweet.
But the Manchester Evening News understands the photoshoot took place before the end of last season and Mkhitaryan actually trained every day while on holiday in his homeland.
Manchester United open talks with Ander Herrera over new deal
Mkhitaryan ended his maiden United campaign with an acrobatic clincher in the Europa League final and the 28-year-old was also included in the competition’s squad of the season.
Pictures of him in California during United’s training session at the UCLA campus on Monday also showed the 28-year-old looking lean and trim ahead of the new campaign.
Mkhitaryan’s dedication to training is renowned sincehis days at Shakhtar Donetsk, where he lived at the club’s idyllic Kirsha Training Centre.
Ed Woodward skips US tour in bid to clinch Ivan Perisic and Eric Dier transfers
Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Premier League latest, plus EVERY deal as it happens
After returning at midnight following one Champions League tie, Mkhitaryan could not sleep due to adrenaline and decided to train in the gym on his own and a successful three years in the Ukraine led to his 2013 transfer to Borussia Dortmund.
After he was omitted from the United squad which drew with Burnley in October, Mkhitaryan chose to enhance his fitness at the club’s training complex while his team-mates enjoyed a day off, contrary to reports claiming he was made to train alone.
That commitment helped win over Jose Mourinho and Mkhitaryan became a key cog during United’s campaign and, in particular, their Europa League run.
Mkhitaryan scored six times in the Europa League, with five of them coming in the knockout rounds.
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2017/07/13/sports-henrikh-mkhitaryan-sets-the-record-straight-over-that-unflattering-picture-of-him-in-manchester-uniteds-new-kit/
