Juan Mata has revealed the frustration of knowing his days as a No.10 at Manchester United are over.
And the 29-year-old Spanish international has claimed he’s had to sacrifice his natural creativity just to get a place in Jose Mourinho's side.
United’s popular playmaker would love to have the same free role handed to cross-town rival and compatriot David Silva at Manchester City.
Silva is tearing up the Premier League, but for Mata life at Old Trafford has become a struggle.
And with Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil a reported January target for Mourinho, it might not get any easier.
For instead of being handed the freedom of Old Trafford, the former Valencia and Chelsea star is most often having to operate from a wide position.
Against City last Sunday, Mata almost provided a point-salvaging equaliser for United with a wonderful pass which helped set up the Romelu Lukaku chance saved by Ederson.
But the Spaniard has had to accept his days as a No.10 are behind him at Old Trafford, especially after the arrival of £89million Paul Pogba.
“When you are a footballer sometimes you need to adapt in order to play and help the team,” said Mata, before Sunday's visit to West Brom . “I have had to do that. I have had to adapt to play on the right side, or left, or on the wing even though I don’t consider myself a proper winger.
“But I want to play, and that’s the position I have to play if I want to be on the pitch. I’m more than happy to do it because if I play as many positions as I can it helps me become a better player.
“As a kid I was a striker, then I was a left-winger for a while. Then I played No.10 most of the time. It’s only since I came to Manchester United that I am playing on the right.”
Mata’s football upbringing was influenced by some of the great No.10s and not being able to follow that path now appears to hurt.
“My dad used to play football and his idol was Diego Maradona,” said Mata, talking to Rolling Reds. “At home, he would always put videos of Maradona on.
“I haven’t had just one idol, there have been many players I’ve admired.
“One was Maradona, another was Zinedine Zidane, and a third was Ronaldinho when he played at Barcelona. They were really special players.
“The best I’ve played against is Lionel Messi.
“I played against him when I was at Valencia and in the Champions League semi-finals at Chelsea. He can do everything. The way he connects his brain with his feet, it’s just quicker than anyone.”
Mata was twice Chelsea’s Player of the Year during his days at Stamford Bridge before his £38million move to United in January 2014.
In his last full season for Chelsea, the Spaniard scored 20 goals from midfield — this season he’s scored just once.
“There’s no better feeling in football than to score an important goal,” he said. “As much as I also love an assist, for me there’s nothing like scoring. Scoring goals has always been an important part of my game.
“In every season, I want to be scoring 10 or more — for a midfielder that’s good. Hopefully this season I can do the same.”
To achieve that ambition Mata needs to be on the pitch.
But perhaps the most damning statistic of his campaign at United so far this season is the apparent lack of faith Mourinho has in his little wizard, capped 41 times by Spain.
For of the 15 games he’s started for United this season, he has completed only two – the 1-0 win against Bournemouth and the victory over CSKA Moscow in the final Champions League group game.
That puts Mata’s long-term future at Old Trafford in doubt even though he’s survived 18 months under Mourinho, who when Chelsea boss sold him to United.
With January approaching, and Ozil lurking, maybe Henrikh Mkhitaryan isn’t the only United playmaker who is concerned about his future.
* JUAN MATA isn’t just a humanitarian – he’s a brainbox too.
The Manchester United star has been roundly applauded for helping initiate the Common Goal movement – in which footballers pledge one per cent of their salary to help charities for children in under-privileged countries.
But, alongside his charitable work, Mata has been doing a university degree.
“It’s in sports coaching and marketing,” he said. I don’t know if I am going to use it because I don’t really know what I’m going to do after I finish playing.”
But he is proud of Common Goal.
“It’s a nice thing to be involved with,” he said. “I think at the moment we have more than 30 players signed up and it’s growing. Many players want to find out more.”