Mata in love with the Premier League

The Spain international enjoys life in England and believes that, if Adnan Januzaj can remain patient at Old Trafford, he will develop into an “extraordinary player”


Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata says that he has “fallen in love” with the Premier League and life in England, which he feels is a lot calmer than in Spain.

The 26-year-old left Valencia for Chelsea in 2011 before moving to Old Trafford in January after falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

Despite being a firm favourite at United, Mata’s future has come under scrutiny following their summer spending spree but he remains happy where he is.

“You fall in love with the Premier League. I always liked English football, the pitches,” he told El Pais.

“I also like the British culture, the English style, the music and fashion, the style that there is. For the player, life here is much more calm.”

Mata has also spoken of his admiration for some of his team-mates at Manchester United and says that one youngster in particular has surprised him.

“[Radamel Falcao] is a great person, very humble, and a goalscorer of the absolute top level,” he added. “It’s impressive how he moves in the area, how he is always looking for the loose ball. It’s pure instinct. He had a big injury but he’s already recovered.

“I have very good team-mates, like [Wayne] Rooney, but [Adnan] Januzaj surprised me a lot. He’s so good. You see him every day and he has a brilliant left foot. He must be patient; if he is, we will be talking about an extraordinary player.”

The Spain international has also been impressed by new Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal, adoring the Dutchman’s philosophy.

“He has so much experience and I can learn a lot from him. He’s tough when he has to be,” Mata explained.

“He says things in a firm way, intensely, but then he’s somebody who is very close with the players. He really likes to talk with us, to ask us what we think about the exercises that we do in training.

“I love what he proposes and the idea of football that he has. For me it’s more important to be a good person than a good player or manager and he is. He’s an honest man.”

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