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Henrikh Mkhitaryan has insisted he has no problem with Jose Mourinho .

And the 27-year-old has admitted he must first impress the Manchester United manager on the training pitch before his career in the Premier League can get going.

Mkhitaryan has only started once for United this season after swapping Borussia Dortmund for Old Trafford in a £26m move over the summer.

Not only has the Armenia international struggled to get into Mourinho’s starting XI, he has also had trouble earning a place on the bench.

He was left out of the 18-man squad for the 3-1 win over Swansea before the international break and has only featured in one of the last nine match day squads since recovering from a thigh injury in September.

But, in a revealing interview with the Armenian FA, Mkhitaryan, who scored for Armenia in their 3-2 win over Montenegro on Friday, insists he is still hopeful of turning his season around.

He said: “Regarding Jose Mourinho, I hope I can learn a lot from him. He is a coach with a fantastic record.

“There are no disappointments, just challenges.

“I never stop or give up when I encounter obstacles in my way. I just continue going until I reach my career objectives.

“Today I don’t have enough playing time, so I have to do all my best so the coaching staff gives me the chance to play.

“I know I can succeed at Manchester United and I want to show everyone that I deserve to be a key player in this team, in this league.”

Mkhitaryan has, for the most part, stayed quiet during his exile from the United team.

It has led to speculation he has not settled in Manchester after his move from Germany following on from a history of difficult starts at new clubs including Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund.

And while the midfielder admits he struggled at first at Dortmund, he insists he is enjoying life in Manchester.

He said: “There is not much sun but I didn’t move to Manchester to go to the beach!

“It has been relatively simple to adapt to the city because people are so friendly to me.

“It’s a dynamic city and one I like to live in. I am only missing playing time but it will come for sure. I keep working hard and this will pay off.

“It was a little hard in the beginning (at Borussia Dortmund) because of the different lifestyle compared to Ukraine and the language barrier.

“But after a first year in the country I could feel very comfortable and I am very proud of having played for Borussia Dortmund during my career, it was a fantastic experience.”

Mkhitaryan, who was named as the Bundesliga’s Players’ Player of the Year last season, has also received criticism from Dortmund chiefs following his move to United.

He has been accused of giving up a starring role in Germany for high wages in the Premier League. But Mkhitaryan insists he is in England to make himself a better player.

He added: “I had three very successful years in Germany with Borussia Dortmund but I had the opportunity to move to one of the biggest clubs in the highest profile league in the world.

“I was always taught by my father to challenge myself and to continue to evolve in my career and I saw the move to Manchester United as an opportunity to grow as a player and as a person.

“It was definitely not the salary that made me join Manchester United, I went for football reasons.

“For the history of the club, the league, the fans and the coach because he is one of the best in the world.”

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