07/08/2017 17:08, Report by Mark Froggatt

Juan Mata admits he has been pleased by the "passionate and honest" reception to his much-praised plan to donate one per cent of his Manchester United salary to charity.

The Spaniard will be giving the money to Common Goal, which is a collective fund of 120 charities in 80 countries around the world. As Juan explained in a blog for the Player’s Tribune, he is asking his fellow professionals from within football to join him in forming a Common Goal Starting XI.

Mata discussed his commendable project when asked about it during a press conference to preview Tuesday night’s much-anticipated UEFA Super Cup tie against Real Madrid in Skopje, Macedonia.

“Football is a great sport that we all love,” Juan explained to reporters. “But it means much more than that for so many people around the world. The idea was basically to bring professional footballers and society together for change, and for improving so many people’s lives.

“I am quite happy that this game will have its part to donate and hopefully very soon a lot of players, managers, journalists, everyone connected with football, can help with this project. Together we can make a real impact through football because it has the power to unite and inspire people.”

Expanding on the idea’s reception, Mata continued: “It has had a passionate and honest reception, not just players but almost everyone around the football world. I had some personal messages on my phone and some on social media, but in the next weeks and months we will give more names to the project. 

"I am quite happy because everyone understands the situation, the project and the aims. I feel everyone is looking forward to trying to help. So that is a very positive start.”

One journalist at the press conference asked Mata for his thoughts on Neymar joining Paris Saint-Germain for a reported sum of £200million, but the forward was reluctant to criticise the fee. “It is what it is,” he said. 

“There is a big, powerful situation in football because football provokes the money. It has thousands of fans everywhere and the whole of professional football moves a lot of passion around the world. I understand why people can think it is a bad thing. But it's important to show that football, beyond fundraisers, can help a lot. Clubs and FIFA help so many people.

“Globally we can have a bigger impact and a bigger reach. That is the ultimate dream, that everyone is together in football to help and to use football as a big tool for social change. The money involved in football is because football has an amazing impact on the world.”