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Former Manchester United winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan has revealed his spell playing in the Premier League made him 'fall out of love' with football.

The Armenia international was tipped for a move to Liverpool in 2013 but opted to join Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund instead. His performances in Germany were eye-catching and United paid around £30million to lure him to Old Trafford just three years later.

However, Mkhitaryan struggled to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League and was soon axed from the starting XI under Jose Mourinho.

There was a breakdown of trust between the player and his manager which led to Mourinho publicly stating that "every player has a price" before Mkhitaryan was used as a makeweight in the deal to sign Alexis Sanchez.

His troubles continued with the Gunners and his nightmare spell in England was finally ended in the summer when he joined Chris Smalling on loan at Roma.

The 30-year-old welcomed the move as a chance to rediscover his love for the game.

"Now I am in Rome and I focus on them," he said. "This is not a step backwards as great football is played here. I wanted to change scenery and for me it is an opportunity to be seized.

"I have to enjoy playing football, no matter the place. In England, I no longer felt this pleasure.

"The messages after the two national matches made me happy, but now I have to concentrate on Rome."

Mkhitaryan explained that the troubles he faced in England will help him deal with the pressures of joining a new club.

He added: "I will never give up and I will fight to the end. I'm not afraid of pressure, I'm used to it having already played with great teams.

"I know that the slightest mistake is criticised while a good performance is exalted. If you agree to play football you must be ready to face criticism.

"Serie A is a great opportunity, I accepted immediately with enthusiasm. We didn't even talk about money."