Juan Mata chooses six shows as part of MUTV Takeover

ERIC CANTONA: REFLECTIONS OF AN ARTIST

Mata’s third choice was a documentary on ‘The King’ and he has already explained in greater detail about his special relationship with Eric.

CLASSIC MATCH: UNITED 4-3 REAL MADRID (2002/03)

As part of his MUTV Takeover, Juan selected a classic match from our archives, and he opted for an unforgettable European encounter against his one of his former clubs.

“I picked that game for various reasons,” he said. “I remember watching that game as a kid. I remember that Ronaldo – the Brazilian one – had an amazing game and scored a hat-trick.

“Even though he was a rival player, when he was substituted, everyone at Old Trafford clapped for him. That was amazing – I know how amazing our fans are every week and that moment shows how special our supporters are.”

Although this win meant United actually exited the competition, Juan believes the quality on show that night is more than enough reason to rewatch this epic tussle.

“I remember David Beckham scored that game – he scored a great goal but it wasn’t enough. Even though United didn’t qualify, I remember it as one of the top European games because it was between two of the biggest clubs, and it was played with an incredible group of players on the pitch who were both going for the win.

“Of course, United were pushing to qualify but, with Ronaldo, Real were making it very difficult to qualify. I’m sure United fans weren’t happy to not qualify but they appreciated the game itself.”

As a youngster, Mata came through the ranks at Real and he reflected on training with the likes of David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and, of course, Ronaldo.

“He is not just one of the best strikers to have played the game, but one of the best players overall,” Juan said. 

“Also, he showed so much resilience when he had two very bad injuries in his knees in the peak of his career, and he came back and scored many goals. Without a doubt, he is one of the best players I have seen and one the best players I have trained with – I didn’t play with him, but I trained with him quite a bit.

“I’d definitely put him near the top of my list of the best players in football. In that game at Old Trafford when he scored three goals, he was just great.”