New Delhi: Recently FC Barcelona's mainstay in defence, Gerard Pique, revealed in an interveiw with Spanish radio station Onda Cero, how difficult it was to break into Manchester United's first team as a 17-year-old.
Pique left Barcelona's legendary youth academy la masia in 2004. He joined Manchester United but wasn't able to break into the senior team. This lead to a transfer back to Barcelona for a fee of 5 million Euros.
Since then, the Spanish international has come a long way, cementing his place in the club's first team as well as a regular in the Spanish international team. The 29 year-old has now won 16 major club honours, including three Champions League titles, as well as the World Cup and European Championships with his national side.
“They adapt very well, it’s not like before,” while speaking about the integration of young players into Spain’s Euro 2016 squad.
“When I was seventeen, eighteen years old and tried to make the jump to the first team at Manchester United, it was much more difficult,” the defender told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
“Now you make a little joke and it seems to be a crime,” Pique added. “I remember when Gerard Deulofeu went to the first team, and he was going to sit at a dinner, I removed the chair, he fell and I got a scolding. They did it to us everyday!”
