After a woeful performance for Manchester United against Manchester City, Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s first start for the club, he was subbed off at half-time and didn’t play for two months.

Mkhitaryan has revealed that even though Jose Mourinho wasn’t playing him, he was still talking to him and giving him confidence in himself.

I played really bad against City. As a footballer you just have to try to learn what you’ve done bad and what I could do good. During that time, I had conversations with Jose Mourinho. You can feel the confidence he gives you. I kept talking to (agent) Mino Raiola. We are like two friends before anything else. He said, “Mikhi, you know what, this is life experience”‘. I said, “Mino, I know and I will never give up. I’ve had a long way to come to Manchester United and one day for sure I will play”.

Mkhitaryan has acknowledged he was still carrying a bit of an injury that day but didn’t want to let the team down so played regardless.

I was so emotional and hungry to start for Manchester United, I couldn’t tell him I can’t play because I felt a little bit of pain. If they trust you, you have to play. Maybe next time I would say it’s better not to risk me, not to put the team under this kind of pressure. But it’s not easy to pull out. The first time I stepped out at Old Trafford, I literally had goosebumps come up on my arm. I’m not a kid but I still had that feeling of great responsibility seeing 75,000 supporters shouting for United. It made me happy.