JUAN MATA established himself as a cult hero early on his in Premier League career.
The Spaniard, now aged 35, left previous club Galatasaray earlier this summer.
And now the former Manchester United and Chelsea star is without a club.
However, having earned a cool £76million over his career – as per Capology – it is easy to imagine he can afford to play a waiting game for his next club.
Kicking off his youth career at Real Oviedo, Mata was soon headhunted by La Liga giants Real Madrid in 2003.
Mata progressed through the club's ranks until 2007, when he joined Valencia after they triggered his release clause.
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He went on to score 46 goals and add 52 assists in 174 games before leaving the Mestalla Stadium in 2011.
This came one year after he was part of his nation's success at the South Africa World Cup, where La Roja won their first-ever Jules Rimet – though the women's team have now added to the collection.
Mata sealed a £23.5m move to Chelsea and was one of their key players before the return of Jose Mourinho.
Chelsea won three major trophies with Mata providing the team's creative spark, including the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup.
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5Meanwhile, Mata also got his hands on the European Championship with Spain, scoring a goal in the final despite a cameo of just three minutes.
But a mid-season departure in January 2014 beckoned for Mata following a lack of minutes under Mourinho, who preferred Oscar in his role.
And after 33 goals and 57 assists over his two-and-a-half-year Blues career, Mata made the switch to David Moyes' struggling Man Utd.
He certainly hit the ground running for the Red Devils, scoring six goals in 15 Prem appearances in the second half of the season.
Mata would go on to spend eight more years at Old Trafford amid a position change which saw him play on the wing more often than through the middle.
His first United trophy would eventually arrive in 2016 under Louis van Gaal in the form of the FA Cup when he scored in the final against Crystal Palace.
United would add three more cups in the following season after a Mata reunion with Mourinho – winning the Community Shield, Europa League and League Cup.
Mata eventually departed United in the summer of 2022 with a record of 51 goals and 47 assists in 285 games.
Galatasaray picked him up on a free transfer, with Mata bagging three goals and one assist, despite most of his appearances coming off the bench.
His contribution helped them win the Turkish Superliga for the first time in four years.
However, he was released on a free on July 1, with Mata penning a touching departure message.
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He said: "I am not sad because it ended, I am happy because it happened."
As it stands, at the age of 35 Mata is yet to find his next club.
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