Juan Mata: 'Friends and family were concerned about Jose Mourinho reunion'

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has revealed that friends and family expressed concern about him playing under Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

The Spain international struggled to hold down a regular spot in Mourinho's team during the pair's time together at Chelsea.

In fact, Mata started just 11 Premier League matches before moving to United in January 2014 under then-manager David Moyes, who was sacked later that year.

When Mourinho took over at the North-West outfit in the summer of 2016, Mata's family were concerned.

"I faced it naturally," the 29-year-old told Mundo Deportivo. "It's true I received calls from concerned friends and family but I knew that I didn't have any personal problems with Mourinho at Chelsea. What hurt me is that they spread rumours and lies about what did not happen."

Mata has been a strong performer on the right wing under the Portuguese coach's rule.