34 Facts About Juan Mata García

1. Juan Mata Garcia is an avid tennis fan and considers tennis superstar, Rafael Nadal to be the greatest Spanish athlete.

2. Juan Mata Garcia became the leader of the London club and was voted the best player of the team in 2012 and 2013.

3. Juan Mata Garcia was quick to settle and start playing football there.

4. Juan Mata Garcia inherited his name from his father, Juan Mata Garcia Manuel Mata Rodriguez who wanted his son to replicate his lifestyle and career as a footballer.

5. Juan Mata Garcia was included in Spain's squad for the 2012 Olympic football tournament as one of their three designated overage players.

6. Juan Mata Garcia started in the second group match against Iraq and came on as a substitute for Albert Riera in the semi-final loss to the United States.

7. Juan Mata Garcia came on as a substitute for teammate David Villa in the 63rd minute.

8. Juan Mata Garcia finished the championship second to his teammate Alberto Bueno as top goal scorer of the competition, with four in five matches.

9. Juan Mata Garcia replaced Jesse Lingard in the second half, then was substituted in added time for Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

10. At the beginning of the summer, Juan Mata Garcia was reunited with his former Chelsea manager and the person who sold him to Manchester United, Jose Mourinho.

11. Juan Mata Garcia was substituted in the 90th minute and replaced by Jesse Lingard, who would score the winning goal for United in extra time.

12. Juan Mata Garcia was awarded Chelsea's Player of the Year for the second successive season.

13. Juan Mata Garcia netted an 87th-minute winner against Manchester United, a crucial one for Chelsea's Champions League qualification hopes.

14. Juan Mata Garcia said it would be good for me here, and that me and him together could be good.

15. Juan Mata Garcia revealed that compatriot Fernando Torres helped persuade him to move to Stamford Bridge, saying "Fernando got me excited about the thought of coming here.

16. Juan Mata Garcia netted the only goal of the game against CA Osasuna, latching on to a long ball from David Villa.

17. Juan Mata Garcia had a release clause at Real Madrid during his last season at the club, and eventually agreed to sign for fellow La Liga side Valencia CF in March 2007, with the contract starting on 30 June 2007.

18. Juan Mata Garcia stayed there for three years before joining Real Madrid's youth academy, La Fabrica, at age 15.

19. Juan Mata Garcia inherited his name from his father, Juan Manuel Mata Rodriguez, who was a footballer, playing as a forward for nearby Burgos CF in the 1980s and early 1990s.

20. Juan Mata Garcia became an integral part of the club's midfield, making 174 appearances over the course of four seasons.

21. Juan Mata Garcia mostly plays as a central attacking midfielder, but he can play on the wing.

22. On 7 August 2016, Juan Mata Garcia was selected to be on the bench in the FA Community Shield.

23. Juan Mata Garcia struggled to secure a regular first-team place under Mourinho as he had started just 11 of Chelsea's 22 Premier League matches.

24. On 15 May, Juan Mata Garcia gave a fine performance in the 2013 UEFA Europa League Final against Portugal's Benfica, assisting Branislav Ivanovic's injury time winner from a corner kick.

25. Juan Mata Garcia scored a brilliant goal in the 38th minute, taking a pass from Oscar into his stride and launching an unstoppable shot into the goal from 25 yards out.

26. On 22 December 2012, Juan Mata Garcia signed a contract extension with Chelsea which tied him up with the club until 2018.

27. Juan Mata Garcia finished his first season at Stamford Bridge with 573 passes, creating 66 chances and completing 61 successful crosses, which all contributed to Chelsea's cup-double winning season.

28. On 29 October 2011, Juan Mata Garcia assisted Chelsea's 6,000th league goal with an in-swinging cross which was headed in by Frank Lampard.

29. Juan Mata Garcia made his debut for Chelsea against Norwich City on 27 August 2011, where he came on as a 68th-minute substitute for Florent Malouda and scored the club's third goal in the 11th minute of stoppage time.

30. On 24 August 2011, Juan Mata Garcia signed a five-year deal with Chelsea.

31. Juan Mata Garcia started his football career at Real Oviedo, where his father spent most of his career.

32. In his spare time, Juan Mata Garcia enjoys table-tennis, a sport he played as a child.

33. Juan Mata Garcia was raised in his father's home town of Oviedo, Asturias.

34. On 9 September 2009, Juan Mata Garcia scored his first goal for the senior team, against Estonia, securing the nation a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and was part of Spain's World Cup-winning squad.