I've played with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, but this Manchester United legend is who I aspired to be.

By premiernews On Mar 20, 2024

Gerard Piqué has described Rio Ferdinand as “the boy” he most admired when he arrived at Manchester United.

The Spanish defender He completed his move from his boyhood club Barcelona to the Premier League giants in 2004, aged just 17.

Piqué signed for United when he was just a teenagerCredit: Getty

Piqué joined a star-studded team that included the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs, with whom he played during his time at United.

However, he was his central partner Fernandowho at that time was establishing himself as one of the best, the one that Piqué admired the most.

Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT on Drive, Darren Bent asked how much influence the England legend had on him and said: “A lot.

“Because I think obviously with the English style, in the Premier League you play a little bit differently than in Spain, but we were very similar in the way we played.

“Also physically we were very similar. He was stronger but we wanted to play the ball. In the Premier League we didn't play as much as in Barcelona, in Barcelona we took a lot of risks, but they were very similar players.

“For me, when I got there, he was the ideal person to really see what I was doing, learn from him, he gave me a lot of advice at the time and it was very good for me.

“I also consider it, some say John Terry, for me Rio was the best of all time in the Premier League, at least from what I saw.

“Because sometimes what happens off the field, it seems that people consider you a little less because you have different interests off the field, etc., and Rio is this style of person like me in Spain.

Piqué faced the best in the League during trainingCredit: Getty

But it is Ferdinand who caught his attention the most during his four years.Credit: Getty

“But then on the field he was incredible, he always played at a very high level and was a great example.”

Before returning to Barcelona in 2008, Piqué won the Premier League, Champions League and League Cup with United.

Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist slam Rio Ferdinand's 'nonsensical clickbait' claim that Mikel Arteta would leave Arsenal job to manage Manchester United

With talent like rooneyRonaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy in attack, he was able to improve his game against some of the best in football during training.

“It was incredible that moment because I was very, very young and every day when I came to the dressing room we had Giggsy, (Paul) Scholesy, Gary Neville.

“So that generation of '92 was incredible, but at the same time we had the Rooneys. ronaldo That they were coming. I remember that time like crazy, every training session was like an opportunity to show that he could play at that level.

Piqué and Ferdinand would later become opponents on the big stage.Credit: Getty

“It was hard, I can tell you because every day you have to mark Rooney or Van Nistelrooy or Cristiano, but it's good because for you, leveling every day is better and better because you have a challenge to face.

“It helped me a lot to become the player I was thanks also to those teams we had during those years at Manchester United.”

Piqué became one of modern football's greatest defenders at Barcelona, where he won an incredible 30 major trophies.

It's clear that his time at United helped influence his path to success, and Ferdinand still has a positive impression today.

Source link