Ajax USA
March 16 2007

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