Juan Mata: David Silva has shown Spanish players can do well in Premier League

Alam Khan - Reporter 13:53 09/12/2017
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  • Mata has started to find form again.

    Juan Mata believes David Silva paved the way for a Spanish invasion of midfield maestros who were told they wouldn’t be able to cut it in the Premier League.

    The pair are set to face each other on Sunday when second-placed Manchester United host leaders Manchester City at Old Trafford in the 175th derby.

    But it might not have been the case had Silva not proved many people wrong when he joined City from Valencia in 2010 for £24 million.

    The midfielder may have displayed the mercurial abilities that earned him the nickname ‘Merlin’ while in La Liga, but there were doubts about whether he would be able to do the same in the more physical environment of English football.

    Arsenal were among the clubs who rejected Silva as they feared he might be too frail.

    City took a chance and the 31-year-old has now become one of the best players to grace the league, with international team-mates like Mata, who joined Chelsea in 2011 from Valencia, and Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla following him to England.

    Close friends: Silva and Mata.

    “He’s a great player and was a great player at Valencia and the national team too,” said Mata.

    “David is a good friend and a good person too and what he also has showed is that Spanish players can come to the Premier League and do well.

    “Him, Cazorla and myself and we are proud of that. People said he would not be suited to the Premier League – and they said the same to me and I have played over 200 games. Football is about other things, not just the body or physicality.

    “We have played together a lot and we have enjoyed it together, three or four years with Valencia and the national team also and we have great memories together. But now we are rivals on the pitch because we play for different teams and we try our best in every game. That’s football. You get used to playing against your friends.”

    Despite helping City win two league titles and integral to their rise as a top club following Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s 2008 takeover, Silva has surprisingly been overlooked for individual honours.

    Silva is somewhat of a Premier League veteran now.

    His tally of 35 goals in 117 appearances for Spain has also made him the country’s fourth-highest scorer, just three behind Fernando Torres and nine from Raul.

    And Mata added: “It doesn’t matter about the awards. Whoever loves football really appreciates him and what he can do. We appreciate him as a team-mate.

    “He can play very very good and those that like the game, they like him. He scores a lot of goals with the national team too now as well.”

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