Ironically, had things gone differently in 2013, Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be lining out for the away team in Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
The Armenian had several phone conversations with then Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers about moving to Merseyside before current Reds manager Jurgen Klopp convinced him to join Borussia Dortmund.
Mkhitaryan enjoyed two seasons working with Klopp in the Bundesliga and knows the German very well and, in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, speaks very highly of the man whose downfall he will be helping to plot as sixth host second in the Premier League.
They shared some laughs in press conferences, even if Mkhitaryan did not want to share the water with Klopp, and he credits the former Dortmund boss with helping him grow in confidence following his move from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Observers were not so sure ‘Micky’ had quite the same relationship with his current manager, Jose Mourinho, after the Manchester United boss condemned the attacker to a moral purgatory following his poor full debut in the Manchester derby – the £27million signing disappearing for two months.
Since fighting his way back into the United side everyone has been wondering how the hell Mourinho could ignore this sort of talent as United’s season struggled to get going.
A lover of Eric Cantona with a habit of scoring audacious goals, the Armenian is well on his way to becoming an Old Trafford icon, and Mkhitaryan credits Mourinho with instilling him with the confidence to take the Premier League by storm.
He admits the former Chelsea boss has very different methods to Klopp, but both men excel at giving their players the confidence to perform at the highest level.
“Mourinho is friendly but maybe a little harder [than Klopp],” he told the Mail on Sunday. “He can help you and is ready to bring out the best in you. Maybe he doesn’t hug his players a lot like Jurgen Klopp but you can still feel the trust he gives you, that is important for football players.
“Different managers give confidence in different ways. Some by hugging, others by talking or having conversations. Though of course Marouane [Fellaini] gets hugs — when he scores!”
Poor old Marouane is probably in need of more of a pick-me-up than the new scorpion king of Old Trafford.
