Juan Mata heaps praise on James Wilson after promising Cambridge display

Juan Mata believes that Manchester United starlet James Wilson has a bright future ahead of him and that he can go on to emulate the likes of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford.

The striker scored his first FA Cup goal this campaign against Cambridge in their fourth round replay at home and Mata believes that there is more to come from the youngster. The Red Devils trundled to a 3-0 win over the League two outfit, scheduling a game with Preston in the fifth round.

Tottenham Hotspur have reaped the benefit of sticking with their young guns, with Harry Kane setting the league on fire with his brilliance. Arsenal are also keeping faith in their academy stars, tying down Chuba Akpom to a four and a half year deal, which shall see him stay at the club till 2020.

"James has a great future ahead of him," Mata told talkSPORT.

"Everyone can see he has a great left foot, it's incredible the way he can finish. His touch is good and he is quick as well; he has everything to succeed.

"He will have to be patient because there are a lot of other players in the team, but I think he can be very important to the club in the future," he added.

Meanwhile, Mata is also optimistic about their chances of winning the FA Cup, especially with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Southampton and Tottenham out of contention.

The Red Devils haven't won the FA Cup since 2004 and a win here will alleviate the pressure from Louis van Gaal's shoulders, who has not had the best start to his league campaign.

"It would be very good for us to win the trophy. It's been a long time since the club has won the FA Cup so it would be special for every one of us. We will do everything we can to pass the next round and that's all we're thinking about now, the next round," Mata concluded.