When I was given a phone number to call former Manchester United star Juan Mata in his native Spain, I confess many years of jaundiced experience rather got the better of me and I imagined an annoying PR would answer the phone, tell me what I could and couldn't ask and, once the interview had started, keep interrupting to make sure I was on message.
Please forgive me, Juan, I should have known better.
For starters, he answered the call himself and during our chat he was charming, intelligent and open, talking about his continuing love affair with this city a year after he left Manchester United and his latest project: a new collaboration combining his passions for football and art which launches today (June 29) at the Manchester International Festival.
