A biography for Juan Matahasn’t been written yet.
“Every player thinks he's Maradona when he joins a big club. That happens to all of us, but then you start to notice it in the younger players. You see kids who think they're rock stars, wearing extravagant clothes and driving fancy cars... and sometimes you have to take them aside and have a word.”
“I always said I was very grateful for Chelsea. I spent an amazing time of my career there, we won a lot of trophies, and I think I became a better player. I have great friends in the club, and I always wish the best for them.”
“Luck - it's key for every footballer's career. I have been incredibly lucky during my career and in my life.”
“Confidence comes from results. If you are winning, you have that confidence; if you are losing, you don't have it.”
“Real Madrid wanted me to join their academy. It was a big decision to move when I was 15. It's a key age for a youngster, and you're close to your friends and family. But I moved to Madrid, and my family stayed at home. It made me mature earlier than normal. That was a very big decision, and it changed me in a positive way.”
“It would be great to play until I'm 40 like Ryan Giggs.”
“I'm trying to know every part of London, to improve my English and enjoy the football. On my days off, I go to different parts of the city.”
“When I heard of United's interest, I thought, 'Wow.' This is a team that has won a lot of leagues in the history of the Premier League and English league.”
“There are some examples in my career when my family was more concerned than me. So every time I win or I score, I always think about them.”
“I see children now, and many things surprise me: they ask me about my boots and why I don't dye my hair. I wonder, 'Why don't you talk to me about how to cross the ball, control it, the position of the body when I strike the ball?'”
“To be honest, I was never expecting to be in a World Cup final, a Euro final, a Champions League final, a Europa League final. I've done much more than I dreamt, and that's incredible.”
“Van Gaal is how you see him in the press conferences; he's like that with us, too. He's honest and straightforward. He believes in his style of training and way of preparing for games.”
“Chelsea is a top club, and I have many friends there, but you cannot turn down the chance to join Manchester United.”
“You never know what can happen in football and in life.”
“I've been lucky to be born in Spain to a good family. But some team-mates reached the same position from a tough background. Football is equal, and it doesn't matter where you come from.”
“For a kid that just played for Oviedo, to then going to play for a team like Real Madrid, it felt fantastic. But being taken out of my family home and moving away alone, into the residence Madrid have for young players, it was a bit difficult. But as time passed, I got used to it.”
“I've tried to improve - defending, attacking, pressing, trying to think before a game, to be more clever, do something before the defender can think of it, to become a better player. That makes me feel good, that hunger to improve in every way.”
“If you face the goalkeeper, you have to wait for him to go and then put the ball in the other side. It's easy to say it but not so easy to do it when you are in the 88th minute of a game. So you must practise.”
“I train a lot. After training sessions, I like to stay with some balls and some goalkeepers - they help me a lot, too.”
“Obviously, Spain is my home, and I have everything here - family, friends - but I'm very happy in England, with the way of life we have and with English football.”