Manucharyan pens contract renewal until summer 2011
16 March: Edgar Manucharyan has committed to Ajax until
the 30 June 2011. The previous deal of the Armenian
forward (20) would have expired in the summer of 2008. "I am
very pleased that Ajax have so much faith in
me," Manucharyan said, after having signed his new deal.
"I want to win the championship with Ajax and win trophies. I
want to be part of that. Ajax are very important to me and I
hope I can be just as important to Ajax."
Edgar Manucharyan (born Yerevan, Armenia, 19 January 1987)
first arrived at the Amsterdam ArenA on a try-out in
December 2004, coming from Pyunik Yerevan. The Armenian league
season had just finished and Manucharyan himself finished as
the top goalscorer of the league. He was also voted 'Player of
the Year' in Armenia - and all of this at the tender age of 17.
The 'Player of the Year' trophy was supposed to be presented to
him on 14 December 2004, but Manucharyan couldn't be there in
person: on that some evening the loanee made his unofficial
Ajax-1 début in a friendly fixture against
FC Barcelona.
Unfrotunately, Manucharyan lasted for only 13 minutes: then
he broke a metatarsal in his right foot, had to undergo surgery
and was sidelined for approximately three months. Ajax,
however, believed in the youngster's qualities and decided to
give the youngster a second chance after
his recovery. Manucharyan grabbed it
and Ajax offered him a three year-contract as per 01
July 2005, which the player signed on
15 April 2005.
Everybody at De Toekomst was soon raving about the
Armenian's talent and he made his official Eredivisie
début against AZ on 18 September 2005. However,
Manucharyan appeared to be rather injury-prone, mainly due to
the fact that he had problems with the physical demands and
training intensity in
Amsterdam. Persistent muscular injuries
haunted him throughout his first season, at the end of
which he had to undergo knee
surgery. Manucharyan hardly saw action in the first half
year under coach Henk ten Cate, but is now - by all
accounts - on his way back.
So far, Manucharyan had 12 official first team appearances,
in which he scored one goal (in the UEFA Cup, against Austria
Wien). This season he played another 12 matches for Young Ajax,
in which he netted 8 times. "And now I want to prove that
I can do the same thing on the highest level!" the player said.
(MP)
Source: Ajax.nl
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