Manchester United news: Henrikh Mkhitaryan admits Shinji Kagawa failure to settle in Premier League is a warning

Henrikh Mkhitarayan has admitted that Shinji Kagawa’s failure to make the transition from the Bundesliga to the Premier League at Manchester United is a warning that he cannot waste time to make an impact at Old Trafford.

Armenia international Mkhitarayan has completed a £26.3m summer move to United from Borussia Dortmund, following the path taken by Japanese midfielder Kagawa four years ago.

Despite making a bright start to life at United, Kagawa ultimately struggled to make a success of his move and was sold back to Dortmund just two years later.

Mkhitarayan, who made his United debut in a friendly against Wigan ten days ago before facing former club Dortmund during the weather-interrupted tour of China, is expected to battle with Juan Mata for an attacking midfield role under Jose Mourinho.

But he insists he is ready to prove his worth after learning from Kagawa’s difficulties at United.

“Of course (Kagawa’s difficulties are a sign of the demands at United),” Mkhitarayan said. “In this club, you have to try and do everything to show your best qualities, otherwise you will not be here anymore.

“So I will try to do my best, I will try to help the team win the games, try to keep fit and bring my sharpness to the team.

“I never promise something, I always say that I will try, because if you promise something and you don't do you will always be under pressure.

“So that is why I'm trying to say I will do all my best and I will try to help Manchester because, for me, this is a new challenge and I like difficulties.

“I like to win the difficulties because when you win the difficulties it makes you stronger, so I'm trying to do everything to come up to a new level.

“But it doesn't matter if they buy me for, I don't know, 38m or 40m euros, I am not guaranteed to play the games, so I am trying to do my best during the training to earn this place to play and then we will see.

“I don't think I will play every game, depending on the tactical situation, depending on the opponent, but I will do everything to try and help the team.”

Mkhitarayan, a multi-lingual university graduate, will become the first Armenian to play in the Premier League when the season begins next month.

And he admits he will be inspired by his late father, Hamlet, who died at the age of 33 from a brain tumour after a career as one of Armenia’s leading footballers.

“My father was my drive, so he was my motivation ,because when I was young he was playing football professionally and I was always dreaming to go with him to the training ground,” he said.

“He was 33-years-old when he did and I was seven-years-old at the time so, yes, it is a pity but that's life.

“The life continues and I hope he is proud looking at me from the sky so I try to do everything to make him proud.

“It is very difficult when you grow up without a father because, in the family, you don't have a real man who can give you direction, discipline.

“But my mother was my mother and father, so I am thankful to her and I am thankful to all the people who were next to me at the time in a hard moment so the life continues and I am trying to learn something new from the people and getting into football.”