Juan Mata has shared the persuasive role Cristiano Ronaldo played in his decision to renew his contract with Manchester United, despite the likelihood of limited playing time.
The Spanish international, who boasts a World Cup victory, had only been in the starting lineup for nine Premier League games for Manchester United during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure, just before Ronaldo made his dramatic comeback to Old Trafford.
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Even with opportunities to transfer to other clubs, Mata chose to stay on, enticed by the prospect of teaming up with the legendary Portuguese forward.
Mata has told FourFourTwo of not wanting to walk away from a challenge for domestic glory: “After so many years at the club, it would have hurt me to leave if United then won the Premier League. I didn’t want to miss that moment. I dreamed of celebrating a league title at Old Trafford.”
Mata added on why Ronaldo’s arrival in 2021 got him so excited, with the Portuguese accustomed to competing for major honours: “I thought we could win the Premier League again. He had such high standards that he could drag the rest with him.
“I always thought that when it came to the 80th minute of a game, the ball had to go to him to win. He always appeared in decisive moments.
“However, circumstances around him prevented him from getting more quality minutes in his second season. I connected with Cristiano, during many conversations. He’s a much closer person than people imagine.”
During his second tenure with Manchester United, Ronaldo did not secure any titles, and his contract was terminated, leading to his release as a free agent in November 2022.
By that time, Mata had moved on to Galatasaray, while Manchester United continued their search for the level of performance needed to secure their first Premier League title since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
