And while he acknowledges Mourinho's arrival at United got people talking about him, Mata was determined to prove his worth.
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Juan Mata helped Manchester United progress in the Europa League on Wednesday against Saint-Etienne
I thought 'let's embrace it, let's go for it, let's train how I always train'
Juan Mata
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"I was on holiday," Mata told BBC's Premier League Show on discovering Mourinho had been announced as Van Gaal's successor.
"I thought 'let's embrace it, let's go for it, let's train how I always train'.
"Things are going good, I'm enjoying my football, playing a lot. It's going in the right direction.
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Jose Mourinho is likely to select Juan Mata in his first XI for Sunday's EFL Cup final
"People were talking [at the time]. What I had to do was speak on the pitch, and that's what I feel comfortable doing, speaking through my football."
Mata has enjoyed a productive campaign, earning a regular role in United's attacking midfield.
Despite the strong competition for a place in the Red Devils' squad, Jose Mourinho has stuck by Mata and they have reaped the rewards.
He is United's second top scorer in the Premier League with six goals and is likely to start in Sunday's EFL Cup final against Southampton (4.30pm).