Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata celebrates his 29th birthday today, so everyone here at Shoot! would like to wish the Spaniard many happy returns!

Mata started his footballing career at Real Oviedo before joining the Real Madrid youth academy at the tender age of 15.

He played a season for the Real Madrid Castilla side before sealing a move to La Liga outfit Valencia in 2007, where he went on to appear 174 times in a four-year stint before moving to England with Chelsea in the summer of 2011.

The 29-year-old was a big success at Stamford Bridge, scoring 33 times in 135 games for the Blues, and was twice their Player of the Season such were his impressive displays for the West London outfit.

However, he fell out of favour under Jose Mourinho and sealed a £37 million move to United in January 2014, where he has gone on to make 174 appearances, and net 36 times.

Mata is currently on the sidelines due to injury, yet with it being his 29th birthday today, we at Shoot! have brought you FIVE things you probably didn’t know about the Spanish playmaker…

Favourite food is fabada

In an interview with FourFourTwo magazine, Mata confirmed that his favourite food is Fabada.

Fabada is a Spanish bean stew which the 29-year-old usually has back at home and before bed, and says it keeps him ‘nice and full before bed’.

Studied for two degrees

Footballers often get bad press for not necessarily being the cleverest of people, yet Mata somewhat contradicts that view.

The midfielder studied for two degrees at the University of Madrid earlier in his life, one of which was in Marketing, and the other was in Sports Science.

Mata studied these alongside playing for Valencia, and continued doing so even when he moved to Chelsea in 2011.

Huge tennis fan

29-year-old Mata is a big tennis fan, revealing back in 2013 that he used to play the sport regularly as a youngster before choosing football as his primary focus.

And, unsurprisingly, the midfielder is a fan of 14-times Grand Slam champion and compatriot Rafael Nadal, who he labels a ‘big hero’ in Spain such are his heroics on a tennis court.

Never won a league title

He may have won the Champions League, the Europa League, the FA Cup, and the Copa del Rey (as well as the World Cup and Euro’s with Spain), but Mata has never landed a league title.

His first season at Stamford Bridge saw the Blues finish sixth in the division, of which they then improved to third the season after before he joined United in January 2014.

And he hasn’t really been near the summit since moving to Old Trafford, with the Red Devils recording a best finish of fourth in the time Mata has been at the club.

He’ll be hoping that he can help Mourinho and co towards that elusive league title with United next season.

Messages his mum before every game

Many footballers have pre-game rituals and expectations to carry out prior to kick-off, and Mata is seemingly no exception.

The 29-year-old admitted that he messages his mum prior to every game he plays.