#4 Juan Mata: 2007-2011
The second man on our list is the Manchester United superstar Juan Mata, who continues to capture our imagination as one of the finest playmakers in the game at the moment. A player who can turn a game on its head with his abilities, Mata is one of the best players to have emerged out of Valencia in recent times.
Mata began his footballing journey at Real Oviedo at the age of 12. However, his skills were soon spotted by the Real Madrid scouts and he made the move to the glamorous club’s academy in 2003, learning the intricacies of the game at one of the best academies in the world. However, the urge to find first team football saw Mata on the move again as he joined Valencia at the start of the 2007 season and established himself as the team’s leading playmaker owing to his abilities as a playmaker.
An ever-present attacking figure for Valencia during his 4 years at the club, Mata made a total of 213 appearances and grabbed 56 goals in the process. With a number of match winning performances to show for during his time at the club he rose to prominence as a footballer and established a stamp of his legacy in the club’s history.
