Pique Praises Sir Alex

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has declared that Sir Alex Ferguson became “a second father” to him during his time in English football with Manchester United.

The Spanish international spent three years in the Premier League before Barca lured him back to the club in 2008, and the cultured stopper has not looked back since.

However, AS reports that in an interview with the English press, Pique admitted that his time with the Red Devils was difficult, and he relied on Ferguson as a mentor.

He stated: “I was 17 years old, and missed many things about Barcelona, particularly the food. Fortuntately, Sir Alex Ferguson realised my situation and helped me to grow. For me, the gaffer was like a second father.”

Pique also commented on the similarities between Manchester United and Barcelona, and highlighted a number of attributes that both sides share.

He added, “In particular, the players are the same. In Manchester, I learned a lot from people like [Ryan] Giggs, [Gary] Neville and [Paul] Scholes, and in Barcelona this role is performed by players like Xavi and [Carlos] Puyol, who are the example for those who arrive to the team.”