Out-of-favour Mata confident of Spain future

Mata has scored 10 goals in 34 appearances for Spain, but has not featured since last year's ill-fated World Cup defence.

However, the former Chelsea man, who has won the World Cup and European Championship with Spain, wants to change that.

"Many of you are asking me these days about the Spanish national team," Mata wrote on his personal blog.

"As I always say, I have been very lucky to play and to win a World Cup and a European Championship, to participate in the most important competitions, but I'm still excited as the first day.

"I am convinced that I'm in a perfect age in my football career and I look forward to keep contributing and achieving more success with my national team.

"That's what I work for every day, training and playing to the maximum, trying to do the best I can.

"After that, obviously, the manager is the one who picks the players for every game.

"So now I take these quiet days to keep working, as I said, but I also switch off and rest a bit."