Tired of modern football? For anyone looking for a story to restore their faith, the unlikely case of newly minted Spain international Jaime Mata should help.In his mid 20s, the striker was still only semi-pro, and a series of near-misses suggesting he was destined for no more than languishing in the lower leagues. Yet on Saturday, he stepped out in a Spain shirt at the Mestalla at the ripe old age of 30.Proof that with hard work, its never too late to get your break.3
View this post on Instagram 23319 Internacional absoluto espaol Victoria A post shared by Jaime Mata Arnaiz (@mata_jaime9) onIts easy to see why Mata had little cause for optimism: with Lleida he had twice cruelly missed out on promotion to the second division at the play-off stage (setbacks are a recurring theme in his career).Far from the glamour of La Liga, in the Spanish third tier there is no money of note. Not getting any younger and seemingly not going to make it as a pro, switching to a different career with a steady income must have looked very tempting at that moment in time. Then Girona came calling: I had the chance to be a professional, and that was absolutely crazy for me. I thought, maybe I can keep doing this for a bit longer?.Alsina, the man who signed him, didnt last long at Montilivi, but the sporting directors punt on a lower-league striker marked the start of a domino effect that has carried on all the way to the very top. In the more immediate future, Mata would have an impact at Girona too, twice finishing as one of their top scorers as the Catalans made it to the play-offs for promotion to La Liga, only to yes, you guessed it fall at the final hurdle on two occasions.
View this post on Instagram Da de derbi A post shared by Jaime Mata Arnaiz (@mata_jaime9) onLike with Lleida, two times with Girona was too many, and instead of sticking around for what seemed like more disappointment at Montilivi, the forward moved to Valladolid in the summer of 2016. The cruel irony? At the end of that season Girona were finally promoted to La Liga for the first time in the clubs history. Valladolid finished seventh. Just imagine how Mata felt then.
View this post on Instagram Paso a paso, golpe a golpe, asalto a asalto! Gameday A post shared by Jaime Mata Arnaiz (@mata_jaime9) onBut what followed was the most pivotal season in Matas career. While at Girona his talent was obvious, so too was his inconsistency: in two seasons of more than 40 games he scored only 21 goals, both capable of exciting periods of brilliance then frustratingly long dry spells.It wasnt form that suggested La Liga level regularity in front of goal. Nor was his first year at Valladolid, when he only managed five strikes in the league, and often ended games as an unused substitute.No one could have predicted what would happen next. In the 2017/18 season Mata morphed into the epitome of what the Spanish call a killer, a pure goalscorer. It felt like every shot he took ended up in the net: with 35 strikes including two in the play-offs, he was the key figure in taking Valladolid back to La Liga for the first time in five years. His numbers were so good it was the second best all-time goalscoring return for a striker in the Segunda, only bettered by Sporting Gijon forward Ricardos 46 in 1956/57.3
View this post on Instagram Gran trabajo, gran victoria!A post shared by Jaime Mata Arnaiz (@mata_jaime9) onIncredibly, Madrids least fashionable side are in fourth place and only 10 games away from qualifying for the Champions League for the first time ever. Mata, their top scorer who has turned half-chances into goals, and assisted seven for his teammates, is a huge part of that. No one really believes Getafe can do it, but then no one believed Mata could either.He is only the third Getafe player ever to be called up for Spain, evidence of just how exceptional a story it is for him to even be there alongside the likes of Sergio Ramos and Jordi Alba, let alone to make his debut as he did against Norway.3
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