Manchester United star Juan Mata has revealed how David Moyes reacted after being told that he was sacked by the Old Trafford board.
The Spaniard claimed that Moyes was “very classy” after being told the news, and proceeded to shake the hands of every United player before he left.
The former Everton boss was relieved of his duties at United after a difficult start to the 2013/2014 season.
He was replaced by Ryan Giggs on an interim basis, before the club hired Louis van Gaal the following summer.
“It certainly had to be difficult to replace a figure like Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful manager in football’s history. It was impossible, in fact,” Mata wrote in his book ‘Juan Mata: Suddenly A Footballer’, which is out on September 26.
“The first time I met David was seconds after coming out of a helicopter, as this is how I arrived at Manchester United’s AON Training Complex. Pretty cool, I know. Bond-style.
“He was waiting for us to land and welcomed me and my family with a big smile and these words: ‘Welcome to a fantastic club, a massive club. The biggest club there is’.
“Then he took us to his office and we talked. ‘Juan, I know what type of player you are, I know what you can bring to the team. I need a player like you who can link the play.’
“When I arrived, late January, the campaign was already halfway gone and things were not going too well. We were seventh in the league. Results were not materialising and the atmosphere was not ideal.
“A few months later, after some more disappointing games, the club decided to part with Moyes and chose Ryan Giggs to look after the first team until the end of the season.
“The Moyes era had been much, much shorter than expected.
“Just like André Villas-Boas at Chelsea, he tried his best, as he is a committed and dedicated manager, but we were just not performing well and results were not good enough
“Even at his farewell, he showed integrity and said goodbye to us in a very classy way, shaking all our hands and looking us all in the eye, wishing us good luck for the future.
“I made sure to thank him for bringing me here and wished him all the best.
“Again, I felt sorry for the man who was leaving, feeling partly responsible as every player does when a decision like this is made.”
David Moyes signed Mata from Chelsea in January 2014, in a £40million deal.
The Spaniard has since made 225 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 45 goals, and recording 37 assists.
This season, Mata has featured in all six of United’s Premier League fixtures, and was also brought on as a substitute in the 1-0 win over Astana in the Europa League.
Juan Mata is proud to support Common Goal which aims to unite the global football community in tackling the greatest social challenges of our time. He is giving 99 per cent of his proceeds from this book to this cause. Why 99 per cent? Read the book to find out . . . ‘Juan Mata: Suddenly A Footballer’ is on sale in all good bookshops from September 26th.