Juan Mata Quotes

Obviously, when I play well and win a trophy, I feel happy about myself.

For me, it would be the perfect summer to play in the Euros and then the Olympics. My desire is to play in both.

Wherever I go, I see kids playing football. Even if there is no grass and it’s just sweaters for goals, you see how people love football.

A coach depends on whether I take a corner well or finish a chance in front of goal, and really, what influence does he have over this when it happens?

Football sometimes has a bad reputation. Some of that is deserved… and some of it isn’t.

It will be nice to play against Australia. It’s a great country, and football is getting bigger and bigger.

As a child, we would all go to a tiny village near Burgos, and we’d have typical Spanish parties in the summer. There would be a band and grandparents dancing all night dressed up as American Indians and things like that.

I see children now, and many things surprise me: they ask me about my boots and why I don’t dye my hair. I wonder, ‘Why don’t you talk to me about how to cross the ball, control it, the position of the body when I strike the ball?’

I think that being confident gives you more freedom. It liberates you, helps you have the courage to do things on the football pitch.

I don’t like to think about others losing or not performing well. No, no – I’m not that kind of person.

I never lose faith. I believe in myself. I know what I can do.

I consider myself as this kind of attacking midfielder, trying to find the gaps between the opposition midfielders and defenders and produce what the team needs between the lines.

I admire Arsenal and the philosophy that the young players have. Liverpool, with their Spanish players, they also have an incredible squad. And Manchester United and Chelsea are teams that are very big, like Real Madrid and Barcelona, with money and incredible players.

I’m a professional. I have to do my best.

English football is changing: the champions don’t play a ‘typical’ English style, for example. But in general, it’s quicker than in Spain: more counter-attacks, more open, more direct.

There are some examples in my career when my family was more concerned than me. So every time I win or I score, I always think about them.

You never know what can happen in football and in life.

One of the first lessons I learned in football is that it takes a team to win a game.

If a luxury player is a player who scores and assists and has good stats, then I’m happy to be a luxury player.

I’m a person who doesn’t think bad about other people or feel happy when other people don’t get results.

For a kid that just played for Oviedo, to then going to play for a team like Real Madrid, it felt fantastic. But being taken out of my family home and moving away alone, into the residence Madrid have for young players, it was a bit difficult. But as time passed, I got used to it.

A win doesn’t last too long, and it happens the same way with a defeat. You have the chance to make it up soon afterwards.

I live in a bubble. Real life is the one my friends live. They’ve had to look for work, sign on to the dole, and emigrate. That’s normal life now. My life as a footballer is not normal.

Everything depends on the club more than the player: the quantities, the paperwork.

I am not so old, but when I started out, we had none of this. We did not have the need to show the things we do and the good life we lead. That is dangerous. Social networks can be very positive because it’s a great vehicle to communicate, but perhaps things need to be done in a different way.

I have always been a very positive person and tried to bring the positives from the hardest moments.

There’s always pressure. People’s happiness depends on you; they suffer with you. You get used to it, but you have to know how to handle it.

Sometimes you look at footballers and think they’re selfish or they don’t bring a good image to society. But sometimes people underestimate footballers and their capacity to have a strong opinion and sympathy for others.

But I just try to do my best. I don’t know if my game can influence the game of the team and how we play, but I just try to help with my football, for my team-mates and the club.

I’ve scored as many goals for Manchester United in the Premier League as for Chelsea, but in something like 30 games less.

Like any footballer, I love to play. I love to feel important. I love to enjoy the game.

It’s amazing knowing that a club like Manchester United is interested in you. It’s a good feeling.

London is a very big city, Manchester is calmer. I live near the training ground, so I do things around there in the countryside, but I really like Manchester’s Northern Quarter, where they have nice coffee shops and live music places.

Obviously, replacing Sir Alex Ferguson was never going to be easy – not for him or for anyone. Although I was with him for only a few months, I’ll always be grateful, as he played a key role in my move to United. He was the one who called me, who welcomed me, and the one who gave me the confidence to come here.

I feel privileged to play for Manchester United. It is something, when I’m old, I will always be proud of.

For me, football is what I love to do most. It is also the thing I’m better doing than anything else.

It is true that footballers are mistrustful.

One of the best things if you are a football player is to see the faces of the kids, when they see you and are dreaming of being like you one day. That’s a big responsibility, to be a good image for those kids. A football player is more than just a football player.

I’ve been in England for a while, but it’s true that at times you miss home, your family, your friends.

When I heard of United’s interest, I thought, ‘Wow.’ This is a team that has won a lot of leagues in the history of the Premier League and English league.

For me, good football is not about how many skills you show or how many players you beat. It’s about making the right decision every time you have the ball.

Everything I do is about improvement.

If you want to be anonymous, you can go to Soho or Camden, and it’s not a problem. There are a lot of Spanish people. If you go to Piccadilly or Oxford Circus, you hear lots of Spanish voices, but I’m not recognised much.

When you are in a club like Manchester United, you have a lot of pressure around you.

I always said I was very grateful for Chelsea. I spent an amazing time of my career there, we won a lot of trophies, and I think I became a better player. I have great friends in the club, and I always wish the best for them.