Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has said that he plays his best football when operates in a central position rather than out wide.

New Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal has put the Spaniard behind the striker in his side's two pre-season games in their tour of the US, which has so far yielded 10 goals.

The approach differed from that of former manager David Moyes when he was deployed on the wing and struggled to find his form in the early months following his move from Chelsea.

Mata told reporters: "If I play behind the two strikers I feel comfortable. I've played on the left or right, but my best season was when I played in that position at Chelsea under Rafa Benitez."

Mata found the net in United's 3-2 win over Roma in their last pre-season outing.

Written by
Simon Sinclair