Biography
Who is Juan Mata Pata?
Early life and education
Juan Mata Pata was born in Villafranca Montes de Oca, Spain, on April 28, 1988. He grew up in the city of Oviedo, Asturias, where he began his path in the sport. His father, Juan Manuel Mata Rodríguez, was also a professional footballer who played as a forward for Real Burgos during the 1980s and early 1990s. His father later became a FIFA-registered agent and managed his son's career. During his youth, Juan played table tennis as a hobby.
He started his formal football training at Real Oviedo in 2000. In 2003, at age 15, he joined La Fábrica, the youth academy for Real Madrid. He progressed through various youth levels, including Cadete A, Juvenil C, and Juvenil A. In his final campaign for the youth squad in 2005-06, he scored multiple goals in the league and the Copa de Campeones. He later attended the Technical University of Madrid and the University Camilo José Cela to pursue his education alongside his sports career.
Professional club career
Juan Mata Pata began his senior club career with Real Madrid Castilla during the 2006-07 season. He wore the number 34 shirt for the first team and number 28 for Castilla. Despite the team facing relegation from the Segunda División, he finished as the side's second-highest scorer. In March 2007, he agreed to join Valencia CF, starting his tenure there on June 30, 2007. During his four seasons at Valencia, he made 174 appearances and helped the club win the Copa del Rey.
In August 2011, he moved to the English Premier League to sign a five-year contract with Chelsea. His time at Stamford Bridge was highly successful. He won the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Europa League within his first two seasons. In January 2014, he transferred to Manchester United for a fee of £37.1 million. He spent nine seasons at Manchester United, making 285 appearances and winning the FA Cup, the Europa League, the EFL Cup, and the FA Community Shield. Following his time in England, he joined the Turkish club Galatasaray in the summer of 2022, where he secured his first league title.
International achievements
Juan made his debut for the senior Spain national team in 2009. He participated in his first senior tournament at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. In September 2009, he scored his first goal for the senior side against Estonia, which helped secure Spain's qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a member of the squad that won the 2010 World Cup.
He also maintained a connection with the youth setup, playing for Spain's under-21 team in 2011. He helped the side win the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Denmark, where he was named the Golden Player and earned a spot in the Team of the Tournament. He returned to the senior squad for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. He appeared as a substitute in the final against Italy and scored the fourth goal in a 4-0 victory, which allowed Spain to retain their title as European champions. His contributions to the sport have been recognized with the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit and the The Guardian Footballer of the Year award.
Birthday and age
Juan Mata Pata was born on April 28, 1988, which makes Juan 38 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Juan shares the date with 64 other famous people.
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