GIF Sundsvall centre-half Carlos Gracia has paid tribute to Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata.

The pair played together at Valencia.

And Gracia, who moved to GIF in 2017, told Allehande.se: "I have played with some who are very well known, like Juan Bernat in PSG. We have played together almost all my life. Paco Alcacer in Borussia Dortmund as well. But when I trained in the first team, it was Juan Mata who was the big star, an incredible player.

"He was an inspiration. In one of the sessions he asked if I was studying, and he just said the same thing that my parents did throughout their lives; When you play you do not know what could happen, an injury or anything else can stop you. But the studies will accompany you forever.

"He was an interesting guy, who took two courses alongside football and yet is one of the world's biggest stars. He is a good example of how you can do both things at the same time. How to use your time as a football player.

"Mata was great because you could see that he was talking to everyone on the same level. He did not think he was higher than anyone else. He was such a good guy, the star of the team, but an ordinary person. Sometimes the ego is big among the best in football, but watching him was incredible."