Eight Things We Love About No.8 Juan Mata

In celebration of our no.8's first year at United, ManUtd.com's Gemma Thompson and Ben Hibbs pick eight things we love most about Juan Mata...

GOING FOR GOALS... It may have taken him 10 games to get off the mark after joining in January 2014, but Juan ended the campaign with six strikes in as many games. He began 2014/15 with two goals in his opening four matches, ensuring he had one of the best goals-per-game ratios in the squad across both campaigns. He selected his free-kicks at Newcastle and Southampton as his two favourites goals to date, but his header in the win over Liverpool last month was particularly special for fans. His goal threat from deeper attacking positions is a real asset. GT

A TOUCH OF CLASS... Against Fulham at Old Trafford in February 2014, Wayne Rooney arrowed a high pass out to the right flank which arced over Juan's head. Most players would have had a tough task keeping the ball in play. Mata not only did that, he also watched its flight, readjusted his body as the ball dropped over his shoulder, brought it down with an outstretched boot and turned back onto his favoured left foot in one swift, graceful movement. A small thing, perhaps, but there are numerous such examples. United fans know class when they see it and an appreciative Old Trafford crowd rose and applauded. BH

JUAN THE MAN... Everyone sees Juan the great footballer on the pitch but, around the club, staff who are lucky enough to get know Juan quickly realise he's a great guy off the pitch too. A bubbly and friendly character, the Spaniard always has a smile to greet you with and as an articulate, intelligent and thoughtful individual, he's a pleasure to interview. Team-mates and other colleagues appreciate his character too and acknowledge he has become an integral part of the dressing room, not least as a translator when needed! GT

THE BROMANCE WITH DE GEA... The friendship between two popular players has been celebrated on Twitter where fans' tweets, pictures and memes about the compatriots have spread like wildfire. The moment at Newcastle when Juan ran to De Gea on the United bench and gave him a hug after scoring a brilliant free-kick was a notable example. The two international team-mates are now leading members of the Spanish speakers' enclave in the United dressing room. BH

WORDS OF WISDOM... Without fail, whatever the weekend's result and wherever he is in the world, Juan always takes time out to personally pen his weekly blog for readers on his website and ManUtd.com. It's a tradition he began during his time as a Chelsea player and has continued throughout his stay in Manchester. The Spaniard sees it as the perfect way to communicate with his many fans and he also spends time reading the responses to the blog and his posts on social media, or asking for fan suggestions on what to write about. In Juan's eyes, the fans matter. GT

A CURIOUS PERSON... If you follow Juan on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, you realise he has a broad range of interests outside of football. "I'm a curious person," he once told us. "I enjoy many things. I like to read, watch movies and on a day off I explore places in the city, or villages near my house. So his Instagram not only has the instant hits of team-mate selfies (like this one with Angel Di Maria and Ander Herrera), but also filtered photos of Manchester's skyline, Cheshire village Lymm or the Bridgewater Canal. And when he visited the Manchester United Museum, he extolled the virtues of learning about the club's history: "It's important to know about the trophies, the history and every important player of the club." BH

GIVING BACK... Juan is someone who always likes to factor in time between training, matches and family life to lend his support to various charity initiatives. He is an ambassador of the Laureus Foundation, which uses the power of sport to provide coaching and education to young people across the world, and Mata is also a big supporter of the Manchester United Foundation. Just recently he personally donated 500 toys to be distributed to local youngsters across the region. GT

AND DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT... "He's a little magician, isn't he?" enthuses Michael Carrick. "He's so clever and has so much ability." Phil Jones adds: "He is such a talented player on the ball. He definitely lifts spirits in the dressing room and especially in training." While Ryan Giggs, who knows a thing or two about what it takes to cut it at Old Trafford, says Mata regularly "shows the class he's got as a player and as a professional." BH

Credit: manutd.com