Pique: United Will Always Be In My Heart

Manchester United sold Gerard Pique back to his former club, Barcelona, this week, ending what was a rather disappointing time at United.

Whilst Pique got to share in the joy of winning the league and European Cup double, he did so knowing he hadn’t really left his mark on the club this season.

He scored a couple of goals in the Champions League and put in solid performances in the victories against Arsenal and Aston Villa, but even with the numerous injuries to Nemanja Vidic, Pique struggled to get a place in the team.

The lad certainly has a lot of potential and there is a definite possibility he could have been a very good player for the club. Ahmed at Soccerlens speaks of the regret United fans may feel that another promising youngster has been sold on, following on from Rossi last summer.

However he wasn’t prepared to wait around for that time, and fair play to him. Nobody could really hold any grudges for him preferring to give it a go at his boyhood club. He waited around for us for long enough.

“It is a dream to return to Barca,” Pique said yesterday. “When I left I thought it would be very difficult to come back but now the dream is a reality. Coming here was my first and only option. If there was a chance I had to try and once Barca and Manchester came to an agreement, it was full steam ahead. This is a big move for me and I was very nervous before actually signing the contract in the club’s offices because I knew that I would be pulling on a Barca shirt again.”

There are no hard feelings and the £4-6 million transfer fee will go down well. He will surely prove himself as a great defender in Spain, but claims he will always be grateful for our manager and fans.

“I am leaving with some very special memories, most of all the experience of being part of a fantastic group,” said Pique. “Obviously I would have liked to have played more this season, but the manager has always treated me in an exceptional manner, for which I am extremely grateful. I would like the fans to know that I will always carry United in my heart and I hope that they understand my decision to go back to my home club.”

Are you disappointed he’s gone?

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8 Comments

Jas Rai May 28, 2008

Disappointed that both he and Rossi have left us over the past year to be honest, after watching them so many times in the reserves you always hope that they'd make it in the first team....hold no grudges though, good luck to the lad.

John May 28, 2008

whats worse is we chose him ahead of fabregas when we were looking at the two in barca's youth team. hope he goes on to have good career. seems to have level head and clearly has the talent.

7Bestie7 May 28, 2008

I'm surprised that both have gone. I said in regards to Rossi that his agent sweet-talked him into thinking he was good enough to be guaranteed a first team place anywhere else and he was better than being a reserve/squad player for us. Can you imagine how many he would have played this season?

But for Pique I'm not too sure. Great prospect and I'd want him in our squad for a while to come but we have a solid and young (defender terms) pairing in Rio and Vidic . I'm not sure if we're going to give Jonny Evans a chance to make an impression but we still have Brown and O'Shea who can slot in in emergencies.

With both Pique and Rossi it felt as if they needed to break into our first team very early in their United careers or else they'd be looking for somewhere else.

Jhunt May 28, 2008

I dont think they felt they needed to break into United's first team, I think they wanted first team football and rightfully so. We can't ask players to play in the reserves until theyre 24, 25. Rossi and Pique are right at the point in the curve where you don't gamble on them because the risk is too much (Rossi) or they are three or four places down the pecking order (Pique). Luckily they've both gone and done their thing, away from England where any future development won't harm us in the league...

Wouldn't that be a laugh! Rossi or Pique having a blinder against their old club!

OMelhorDoMundo May 29, 2008

With Ferdinand's five-year contract, Pique knows he won't be a regular at United for at least another four or five years. And when the offer comes from his home club to compete against the overrated Puyol who can also play as right-back, Pique knows he'll get more opportunities.
It's disappointing that he's leaving but he leaves as a European champion and the experience of playing in some big games so I guess he helped United, United helped him.

eddidaz May 29, 2008

Pique's done what's best for himself. Good luck to him.

suhayl May 30, 2008

would have loved for him to stya as i think he has massive potential.....the fcat was..when vida was out..SAF never played him...instead he played Brown and hargo at right back..that signalled the end. Wished he'd stayed...

Now we need to buy cover

daveob June 10, 2008

Why do we keep selling such promising players for peanuts?????
I have just red that an 18 million pound bid for Rossi was turned down....... I can't imagine it will be too long before Pique has crazy offers tabled for him as well........ This Buy high... Sell low theory is bad business.... Weren't we offered 7 mil for Pique last season and turned it down only to sell him this year for 4

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