Gerard Piqué hails Manchester United for allowing him to return to Barcelona, where he became one of the greatest defenders in Spanish football history.
While his time at Old Trafford was relatively brief and he struggled to break the legendary defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, the four years Gerard Piqué spent at Manchester United came as a foundational period for his illustrious career.
Piqué made 23 senior appearances for United, scoring two goals and registering one assist.
After leaving United in 2008, Piqué won everything with Spain and Barcelona to become one of football’s most decorated players, with over 30 trophies to his name.
Man Utd icon Sir Alex Ferguson perfectly captures the ethos of believing in youngsters 🔥👏
Giving young people an opportunity is a fantastic thing and they very seldom let you down. These lads never let me down when they put that jersey on.
Sir Alex Ferguson speaking at the opening of Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium in 2017
Gerard Piqué hails Man Utd approach to 2008 Barcelona transfer
United signed Piqué from Barcelona’s La Masia academy in 2004, with Sir Alex Ferguson recognising his immense potential as a Spain U17 international.
Piqué didn’t get the game time he wanted at United over the four years he spent at the club, leading to a decisive meeting with Ferguson before his 2008 exit.
In the years that followed, Piqué conquered Europe as part of Pep Guardiola’s iconic Barcelona side.
There was no feeling of regret at United because Ferguson had the best defensive partnership at centre-back in Europe with Ferdinand and Vidic, while Piqué was trying to break into the team.
In a recent interview on The Late Run podcast, Piqué discussed his departure from United after confessing his wishes to leave during a meeting in Ferguson’s office.
“I went to Ferguson’s office and told him I wanted to leave,” Piqué said.
“He didn’t object at all and said he’d ask for £5 million for my transfer, a real bargain.”
Piqué praised United’s approach to the transfer for allowing him to return to Barcelona.
“United didn’t need the money, so it would have been very simple for them not to let me leave,” he added.
“If that had happened, I’m sure my career as a footballer would have been totally different.”
With the World Cup now weeks away, which players do you predict will do well at the tournament?
And how far will they make it?👀
Former Man Utd from Spain
There is a list of players who came from Spain to play for United.
The first was Ricardo in 2002, a goalkeeper who joined from Real Valladolid before making just five appearances.
Piqué became the second, but since then, there have been six who appeared for the first team – not including former youth player Marc Jurado.
They include David de Gea, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, Victor Valdes, Alvaro Carreras and Sergio Reguilon.
United are currently without a Spanish player in the dressing room, but that could change in the summer as Ineos continue to monitor the transfer market.
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