«I need a trophy with Dynamo». Arsen Zakharyan’s interview

— How and why did you fall in love with football?

— I have a family that is fond of sports. My father was always interested in football. My older brother has been playing football since he was five. I followed in my brother's footsteps. I played in the yard when I was a kid. From about the age of three, my brother took me to play with him. That's how I fell in love with football.

— You grew up in Samara. What was it like growing up there as a kid who loved football?

— It all started in Samara at Zarya football school. Samara is a city on the Volga River, where a little more than a million people live. It is really a football city. There are pitches of good quality. We had everything we needed. The Krylia Sovetov training ground was also good. Football is very developed in the city.

— Remember some unusual episode of playing football with your friends. What are your most vivid memories?

— I remember the goal I scored in the Russian Championship. I was about ten years old, we played a qualifying match. The goalkeeper of the opposing team played on the way out, kicked the ball into the middle of the pitch exactly to me. I handled the ball and volleyed it back by the second touch over the goalkeeper. Well, this is children's football (smiles). It is clear that the goalkeeper didn’t expect this trick and ran slowly. But it turned out to be spectacular.

— How did your family help you achieve your dreams?

— Family is the main support and help in my life. My relatives were by my side at all tournaments. My father was with me, in particular. It didn't matter if it was six or ten hours by car, he always accompanied me. When I lived in the football school, my family came to me every weekend. They always stayed in touch with me. The relatives supported me after all the matches. And so it is still happening.

— Tell us about your mother and father? Where do they work?

— Mom is a cosmetologist by education. However, she didn't work in this field for long since she started taking care of children. Dad worked in construction and repair.

— Do you watch a lot of football on TV? Which players or clubs do you follow especially?

— I watch football on TV very often. I like to follow Manchester United, where Cristiano Ronaldo is playing. I've always followed his career. Liverpool are also interesting. There are top footballers in this team who play fast football. So it's nice to watch them.

— When did you realise that football could be your career and not simply entertainment?

— Probably at the age of 12, when I have already moved to a football school and started living alone. I went to serious tournaments. Serious goals were set before us. Since then, I realized that if not football, then what?

— Dynamo Moscow signed you in 2017. How have you found moving to the capital city for your career? How did the transfer to Dynamo affect your career?

— Actually, the move was easy for me. Of course, it took time to adapt to a new team. By the way, I didn't sign the contract right away. At first I received a scholarship. The professional contract gave me more motivation.

— You are known as a versatile player but what's your best position?

— I have played in midfield all my life. Even before joining the first team. The coach put me on the wing, and I played well there. I understood the basic principles of playing in this position. I can be both there and there. For example, I started on the wing in a recent match against Spartak, and after the break I shifted to the midfield. No problem.

— Do you think your playing style is adapted to European football?

— Our team plays European football. Our manager is from Europe, he has the appropriate mentality. In addition, he wants to see us playing European football. So I think my style is adapted to such football.

— You made your debut for Dynamo and Russian national team very young, how was that moment? What impressions do you have of such an early debut for both the club and the national team?

— My debut turned out to be inspiring. It's great when the coach believes in you and entrusts you with a spot in the starting eleven. This is recognition that I earned the chance working hard in training. I can say it inspired me.

Before the first match for Dynamo, I was very nervous. On a walk before the game, the coach told me in advance that I would be in the squad. There was excitement, but after the first ball touch this feeling has gone. I was a little less nervous before my debut in the national team. Maybe this is because of the fact that I've already adapted to senior football.

— You were in the extended squad to participate in EURO 2020 but missed it after getting sore throat? Was this one of the hardest moments of your career or were there other moments people don't know about?

— Missing the European Championship is probably the hardest moment in my career. Thank God, I have no injuries, no problems. I hoped to play at EURO. I was preparing, but suddenly got this sore throat. Unfortunately, such things happen.

— You still became the youngest outfield player in Russia's history. Does that record fill you with pride? How important is it to you?

— When you come on the pitch, you don't think about records. I usually find out about this after the matches. Someone sends necessary information to me or just says. Of course, it's nice that there is such a record. But it didn't really change anything in my life.

— You have already achieved a lot. You are the regular player at Dynamo, you play for the national team. But what are you ambitions for the future? What do you dream about professionally?

— I think I haven't achieved anything yet. I just fulfilled the first goal I set for myself. There are still many goals – I want to improve my fitness, work more in the gym on some aspects. Of course, I would like to win a trophy with Dynamo, and get to the World Cup or European Championship with the national team. These are my goals. I will not make any further predictions yet. In the future, I want to play in a strong European league. Let's see!

— Last question: who inspires you the most and why? Tell us about your favourite athlete or musician. 

— UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov inspires me a lot. I always enjoyed watching his fights. His record is a great motivation for all athletes. It is very inspiring to work on yourself.