Manucharyan makes the grade
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
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FC Pyunik and Armenia's teenage striker Edgar Manucharyan has been named his country's Player of the Year.
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Comfortable victory
The 17-year-old collected 280 votes - beating runner-up Armen Shahgeldyan by 162 votes and third-placed David Grigoryan by 185 - in a poll conducted by the Armenian Football Federation.
Goalscoring sensation
Manucharyan has had an outstanding season with club and country, including a full debut for the national side. With Pyunik he scored 21 goals in 22 games as his team won the Armenian Premier League.
Training with Ajax
It is a measure of his progress that the forward was unable to claim his award as he is currently training with Dutch giants AFC Ajax. Manucharyan, who turns 18 on 19 January, is hoping to earn a transfer to the Amsterdam club.