Juan Mata has described playing alongside Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney as a privilege.
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The Red Devils were 3-1 winners against Newcastle United on Boxing Day courtesy of Rooney’s brace and Robin van Persie’s second-half strike.
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And the Spain international talked up Rooney’s qualities, as well as his United team-mates Radamel Falcao and Van Persie.
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“I think he can play there, yes,” declared Mata in a post-match interview with MUTV. “He can defend, he can attack, he can pass and he can score goals arriving into the box.
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“For us, he is a very important player and I feel privileged to play with such a player as Wazza.”
Mata added: “I really enjoy playing with all players like that [Rooney, Falcao, van Persie]. As strikers, they offer you a lot of movement so you can pass the ball to them.”
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“We just want to keep playing well. Physically it’s difficult [to be ready for Sunday’s game] but mentally we are ready. We now recover today and tomorrow and try to be the fittest we can for Tottenham.”
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