After completing his first full A-League match for the Reds, Jay Barnett now has another goal in his sights: to take on World Cup Winner Juan Mata.
Jay fronted the media ahead of United’s trip to Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday, and is looking forward to matching up to the former Champions League winner.
“Yeah, we’ll probably be marking him, like you said, in close quarters for most of the game. Obviously, when people or your friends bring it up, you think about it, but once the whistle goes, he’s just another opponent.
“We’ve got a job to do, but it will be a cool experience. Given his pedigree, and having watched him in big tournaments as a kid, it’s surreal to be on the same pitch. But, at the end of the day, our job is to go out there and get the win.”
Of course, most games I want to test myself against the best players. And obviously, Wanderers are a great side. They’ve got great players like Mata, like you said, but at the end of the day, I got a job to do, and it’s not me versus someone on their team.
“It’s us as a collective, and if I can play my part in that, that’s what I’ll be looking to do, and help the team, yeah, pick up as many wins as we can, starting with Saturday.”
Listen to Jay’s interview in full below.
