Juan Mata’s boot ‘celebration’ for Manchester United wasn’t all it seemed

Manchester United fans were left confused when Juan Mata marked his opening goal against Watford by removing his boot.

Was this an inside joke between the Spaniard and his United teammates that no one knew about? Was it a subtle reference to something people should have been aware of? It was a real head-scratcher for some, but Mata has since made it clear that he didn't intend to leave people baffled. In fact, there was a simple explanation - perhaps even boring - which will put supporters' minds at ease.

Mata scored the opener in United's 2-0 win (photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

"My boot was a little bit half off when I scored, so when I started to celebrate it just went out," he told MUTV. "Well... it was good advertising for Adidas." https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/830508085240213504 See, it's not always a sophisticated in-joke, or a subtle reference. Sometimes it's just a practical measure. And yes, he got the boot back afterwards. https://twitter.com/juanmata8/status/830499593049759745