Manucharyan makes his mark

By Khachik Chakhoyan

Among the top scorers in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers, and now an Armenian title winner with FC Pyunik, 2003 has been a marvellous year for teenage striker Edgar Manucharyan.

Title winner
Having scored once for the Armenia Under-19 side and then five times for the Under-17s - including four goals against Bulgaria - as they won their qualifying group, Manucharyan set the seal on a sensational season by scoring as Pyunik took the Armenian title with three games to spare courtesy of a 5-0 win against FC Dinamo-2000 Yerevan last weekend.

Goal rush
It was the 17-year-old's 12th goal of the season and Armenian national coach Mihai Stoichita is one of a small legion of admirers he has picked up during the course of the year. "He is a very talented player, especially if you consider his age," Stoichita told uefa.com. "Sometimes Manucharyan reminds me of the young Gheorghe Hagi, but to be a player like the former Romania midfielder he will have to work hard."

High praise
Such praise is not given out lightly, but while his name is being whispered in hushed tones in the footballing world, Manucharyan is doing his best to concentrate on his game. Certainly, his assessment of his first professional season is more modest than most. "I can't rate myself because that is the job of fans and coaches," he told uefa.com. "I think I did quite well but I am already thinking about next season and I'll prepare for it very diligently."

Multiple sides
Maintaining his concentration has not always been straightforward, as the striker aims to balance his commitments to the U17 and U19 national sides as well as to Pyunik. "It is not easy to play for different teams, but I always try to do my best," he said.

Coach concerned
His multiple commitments have certainly been a concern for Stoichita who is worried that playing too much football could potentially hamper the striker's career. "He plays not only for Pyunik, but also for all the Armenian national teams which is not good," said the Romanian coach. "This is too much for a 17-year-old. We have to be very careful, because I don't want to lose such a talented player."

In his stride
Despite the pressure, Manucharyan appears to be taking everything in his stride and is quick to deflect attention from his goalscoring form with the U17s. "All I can say about my goals is that football is a team game," he said. "I have to thank all my team-mates for helping me to score goals. I don't care how many goals I score or in which match I score - the most important thing is just that I score."

Simple attitude
That kind of attitude will be music to the ears of coaches across Europe. However, while his performances have invited attention from abroad, for the moment Manucharyan has debts to settle at home. "Right now I am Pyunik's forward, so I hope to help my team," he said. "I'll try to do my best because I have to thank all the coaches for keeping faith in my abilities."

Dream scenario
However, scratch the surface and you can see that the striker has grander plans in his head. His idol is Ronaldo, and he wants to play for the biggest and the best. "I hope that some day I'll be able to play for Manchester United [FC]," he said. "This is the biggest dream of my life." A dream for sure, but certainly not an impossible one.