Rio Ferdinand, a former player for Manchester United, has acknowledged that he was a major factor in Gerrard Pique’s rise to fame.
On Saturday, Pique, a defender for Barcelona, played his final game of his career against Almeria. Ferdinand paid a heartfelt tribute to Pique at the time.
Pique played for Man United between 2004 and 2008, making 23 appearances.
The Spaniard scored two goals and provided one assist for the Premier League giants.
Pique sent an absolute shocker to everyone on Thursday by announcing his retirement from the game at the age of 35.
The 2010 World Cup winner made his final appearance in a Barcelona shirt on Saturday as they defeated Almeria 2-0 at Camp Nou.
However, reacting to the development, Ferdinand, who has previously played alongside Pique at the heart of Man United’s defense, showed his appreciation for the centre-back.
Ferdinand wrote on his Instagram story: “Gerard My man, what a career! Many people don’t know but I actually played one of the biggest parts in making you. The fact that myself and Nemanja were playing at Man Utd you never had a chance….so you had to move on to Barcelona!!!”
He added: “That was my part in catapulting you to greatness!! But seriously, when you went to Barcelona I don’t even think that you could imagine your career would go as crazy as it went – trophies galore with both club and country. One thing you had to do when you left was mature, you did this so quickly because your intelligence took over. A mainstay in both teams, that many consider the best teams EVER!”
“Respect my man for a truly great career. PS – President of Barca watching 7yrs…..”