Sports star

Gerard Pique Profile:



Gerard Pique:
Pique only burst onto the scene after failing to make his name at Manchester United in 2008, slotting perfectly into the Barcelona defence and cementing a place for his country as well.

Following in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas when swapping the Barcelona youth programme for the Premier League in 2004, Pique did not enjoy the same stellar rise as the Arsenal midfielder and his most productive season as a United player came in 2006-07 when he impressed back in Spain during a loan spell with Real Zaragoza, often playing as a holding midfielder. With Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in impeccable form, Pique made only five league starts the following season and was left out of the squad for the Champions League final victory over Chelsea.

But his return to the Nou Camp in the summer of 2008, despite the anger generated by his departure four years earlier, marked a rapid upturn in his fortunes and he quickly became a key figure in Pep Guardiola's six trophy winning Barcelona side. His rise was complete as he played a major part in Spain's 2010 World Cup win in South Africa.