Inter Milan Veteran Midfielder Names Ex Nerazzurri Star His Childhood Idol: “Idol For Armenians” | OneFootball

Veteran midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has named former Inter Milan star Youri Djorkaeff his childhood idol.

Speaking to Cronache di Spogliatoio via FCInterNews, Mkhitaryan also recalled his first visit to San Siro as a spectator.

Widely regarded as one of the best Armenian players of all time, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has enjoyed an illustrious career.

He won the Armenian Footballer of the Year award twelve times, including seven consecutive years from 2011 to 2017.

After using Shakhtar Donetsk as a launchpad, the 36-year-old has featured for numerous top European clubs.

Indeed, he joined Borussia Dortmund in 2013 before moving to Manchester United in 2016.

In 2018, he signed for Arsenal as part of a high-profile swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez.

Then, in 2020, he left England to team up with Roma before arriving at Inter in 2022.

Inter Milan Star Henrikh Mkhitaryan Names Youri Djorkaeff His Childhood Idol

BERGAMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 29: Youri Djorkaeff of Inter Milan celebrates after scoring in a match against Atalanta in 1996 in Italy. (Photo by Allsport/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

“We were in Italy, in Bergamo, with the Armenia U19 team,” Mkhitaryan said. “We were preparing for the Elite Round.

“And we had a day off, and there was Inter–Siena. They asked us if we wanted to go, and, of course, we said yes.

“If I remember correctly, with a win, Inter would have become Italian champions; unfortunately, they drew.

“But it was a wonderful experience, my first time at the Meazza. I remember the atmosphere, the match.”

Then, he went on to discuss his photo with former Inter midfielder Youri Djorkaeff.

“The photo with Djorkaeff? For the Armenian people, he has always been Armenian,” Mkhitaryan added. “He made us proud because he never forgot to highlight his origins.

“For us, he has always been an idol.

“When I was nine, when he came with France for the qualifiers, I took a photo with him, and I still have that picture at home in Armenia.

“Every now and then, when we see each other, we hug and talk. He’s a wonderful person.”