Gerard Pique says Alex Ferguson wished him luck on return to Barcelona
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says that Sir Alex Ferguson wished him well on his return to the Catalan giants from Manchester United.
Pique came through the ranks at Barca and had yet to break into the first team at the Camp Nou when Ferguson spotted his talents and snapped him up as a 17-year-old in 2004.
Despite winning several trophies — including the UEFA Champions League — during his time with the Red Devils, Pique began to yearn for his homeland and returned to Barca in 2008.
Since then, the central defender has gone from strength to strength, winning back-to-back La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League with Barca, as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain.
Pique, however, says that Ferguson — who had become a paternal figure for the player — wished him all the luck in the world upon his departure from Old Trafford.
'Fergie was happy that I was happy'
He told Elmundodeportivo that: "Ferguson understood my situation perfectly about going to Barcelona, the club of my life, and wished me all the luck in the world. He wrote a letter to me and my parents acknowledging that he was probably wrong and that decisions
have to be made and that he was happy that I am happy."
Meanwhile, Pique also spoke of his admiration for former United captain Roy Keane. The ex-Republic of Ireland international had a reputation for being an outspoken personality on the pitch, but the Spaniard revealed that Keane’s leadership skills also came
to the fore in the dressing room.
He said that: “(Keane) is the player I have seen with the most influence in the dressing room. I remember coming in at half-time and it was him who gave the team talk and speech. Sir Alex Ferguson turned away and it was Keane who spoke. I was astounded by him."
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