Matic: The team-mate I'm missing most

The Serbian spoke to us for an upcoming feature and revealed he is missing "everything" about football, especially his daily jokes with the Rochdale-born Academy graduate.

 

Despite playing together just four times this season – against Leicester City, Astana, AZ Alkmaar and Colchester United – the pair evidently have a good bond.

 

"Which player am I missing the most? Axel!" laughed Matic. "I always like to speak with him, because we always attack each other – in a good [funny] way! In a good way! 

“Always, the players like it when we are together in the changing room. They always expect what is going to happen next, so I miss him a lot.”

 

“I'm in good relations with everyone," continued our no.31. “Of course, with players who are close to my age, I understand [them] better. But, to be honest, I like everyone in the changing room. I like to share the funny jokes with Marcus Rashford, Jesse [Lingard]... but the players closer to my age like Juan [Mata], David [De Gea], of course, I understand better with them than Mason Greenwood, for example, because there is an age gap of more than 10 years.”

The players are keeping in contact via WhatsApp and Zoom during the COVID-19-related break from football, and, when asked who was most active on the messaging app, Nemanja mentioned that one player in particular was prominent.

 

“Maybe this will surprise everyone but definitely Dan James,” said Matic. "He always likes to send funny things to our group. So I always see messages from him, almost every day. Can I describe any of them? It's better not to describe!”

The 31-year-old cannot wait to return to competitive action, but feels Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Reds finished on a high note with the 5-0 win over LASK and, notably, a 2-0 win over Manchester City in Old Trafford's last match to date. 

 

“I felt very well during the last game against Manchester City at home,” beamed Matic. “The supporters were incredible, [and] I think that we also played well. The atmosphere was fantastic, and I think, in that game, every player felt what United is. That game I will remember always.”