A MATA OF GUTS & BALLS

GUTS is not always the first word you’d associate with Juan Mata – but I reckon he’s got shedloads of it.

It takes some guts to do what he did when the entire world seemed to suggest he was finished at Old Trafford the moment Jose Mourinho walked through the door.

It took even more guts to say it again when he was dropped by the new Manchester United boss, omitted from the squad and apparently told – in no uncertain terms – he was on his way out of the door.

The way he has fought back and proved he’s worthy of a future at the club is admirable.

And I have to give him plaudits for becoming not just a regular, but perhaps the most important player in that United team for much of the season.

Mata (below) has performed where others haven’t, and I don’t think you have to be a football genius to work out Mourinho didn’t fancy him, so he’s done it against considerable odds. I honestly thought he’d be straight out of the door.

He’s shown pure class to prove his manager wrong.

You can say Mourinho deserves a bit of credit too, for backing down, swallowing his pride and picking Mata.

I just hope Mourinho is big enough to thank him for that... or at least crack a joke about it.

HOW far can Leicester75wordsgo75 words in the Champions League? If I’m brutally honest, I don’t think further than the first knockout stage, where they will come up against a far superior quality of opponent.

I hope I’m wrong, though, because their story is so refreshing for football.

To top their group is incredible in itself. Has any English club done that before in their first season in the Champions’ League? That is a massive success, and they deserve huge credit for it – not slightly mad expectation.