The Spanish forward will make his 200th appearance for the Red Devils if he figures in a Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at Old Trafford
Juan Mata has aired his pride at reaching 200 outings for Manchester United and admitted to being unaware of his entry into the top 100 of all-time appearance makers for the club.
The Spanish playmaker will complete a double century for the Red Devils on Saturday if he figures in a Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.
That outing will see the 30-year-old add his name to a long list of legends at Old Trafford to have hit a similar mark, with Mata set to edge above Remi Moses, Paul McGrath and Jack Mew into 98th spot.
“The top 100? I didn’t know that!” Mata told United Review.
“Of course it’s always great when you can play such a good amount of games for such a big club.
“I feel very happy and very proud and hopefully I can play many more games.”
Mata joined United from Chelsea as part of a £37 million ($47m) deal in January 2014.
He made his debut against Cardiff, with an assist provided in a 2-0 victory for David Moyes’ side.
A further 33 efforts have been laid on for grateful team-mates, while the World Cup winner has recorded 42 goals himself.
His productive spell with the Red Devils has also delivered three major trophies, with FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League successes toasted.
Mata has been a popular figure throughout his time at the Theatre of Dreams and is delighted to have etched his name into United folklore.
He added: “What I can tell you is, out of the 200 games, I have felt very proud in all games and I have tried to give my best in all the matches and that’s something that I will always be able to say.”
Mata will be hoping to make a telling contribution against Palace if given the nod by Jose Mourinho.
United head into that game sat eighth in the Premier League table and struggling for consistency.
Momentum must to be found from somewhere if they are to force their way back into top four contention, with a seven-point gap needing to be bridged in order to reach the Champions League spots.
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