Brandon Williams claims Juan Mata is the best footballer he's played with - not Manchester United colleague Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 22-year-old defender has played alongside several top footballers during his time at Old Trafford - including Bruno Fernandes, Raphael Varane, Paul Pogba, David de Gea, Edinson Cavani, Jadon Sancho, Nemanja Matic, Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford.
Yet Ronaldo undoubtedly has the best CV at Old Trafford, winning the Ballon d'Or and Champions League five times each. The Portugal captain, 37, is also the recorded scorer for Real Madrid (450 goals), at international level (117) and in the Champions League (140).
Despite this, Williams was dazzled by Mata's ability. The 34-year-old, who joined Galatasaray earlier this month after leaving United, has won the World Cup, Euros, Champions League, two FA Cups, two Europa Leagues and other honours during his illustrious career.
Mata joined United from Chelsea in January 2014 and became a key player, making 285 outings. His influence at Old Trafford dwindled towards the end of his spell - playing just 16 Premier League games during his last two seasons - yet Williams was still impressed.
"I'd probably say Juan Mata, because he's a magician on the ball," Williams told GOAL. "He takes control of games in the way he plays. He's a good guy off the pitch as well - he speaks to us and he helps us."
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Mata is aiming to get his career back on track following his move to Turkey. The former Spain international has won almost everything in the game, yet a league title continues to elude him. He will be keen to end his wait during his one-year spell at Galatasaray.
"I feel so good," said Mata in his first Galatasaray interview. "I am excited and very motivated. I'm grateful for being here. Everyone is being very friendly. I can't wait to win with Galatasaray.
"Everyone told me what a nice atmosphere this place has. I'm waiting for the moment when I will experience this. I can't wait to fight in front of our fans. Galatasaray is the team with the greatest success in Turkey. It is also a club that has a place in the history of football. Thank you everyone for the warm welcome."
Williams is yet to make United's matchday squad under new manager Erik ten Hag, with rumours suggesting he's one of five players who've been removed from the squad. The other four are Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe, Tegen Mendi and Shola Shoretire.
Williams spent last season on loan at Norwich, playing 29 games in all competitions. If and when he returns to United's first-team squad, the England youth international will miss the likes of Pogba, Matic and Jesse Lingard - who all left the club in the summer.
When asked who the funniest member of United's squad is, Williams said: "A couple of them have left since last season, like Jesse [Lingard], Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic. They made me laugh the most."
