Wednesday’s Special: Meet Gerard Pique

How well the readers know about Gerard Pique? Apart from his relationship with Shakira and his achievement with both Barcelona and Spain national team..?!

In this first ever episode of Wednesday’s Special, The Writer will bring the readers into the life and story of a weekly selected footballer. Today, readers will have the chance to meet Gerard Pique, albeit in words only.

Pique was born in Barcelona. He is already 27 years old this year. He started his football career as a youth team player at Barcelona’s famous academy La Masia. He left for Manchester United at the age of 17 for no transfer fee as he was yet to sign any professional contract at that time. His move from La Masia to the English Premier League was not as successful as Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas managed to be a first team player and even appointed as Arsenal’s captain while Pique’s stint at ManUtd was a forgettable one. Both Fabregas and Pique were in the same Barcelona youth team with a certain player named Lionel Messi.

A loan stint with Real Zaragoza still cannot propel Pique into the ManUtd first team before a transfer back worth of 5 million euro to Barcelona in 2008 changed his life 360 degree. Being a favorite of Pep Guardiola, the Barcelona coach at that moment, Pique managed to win everything on offer with Barcelona and the Spanish national team. Among his highest achievements were winning the UEFA Champions League, EURO 2008 & 2012, and World Cup 2010. At a mighty 1.92m height, Pique is now regarded among the best central defender in the world. Ironically, Pique even managed to re-unite with both Fabregas and Messi at Barcelona.  

The cherry on the top of Pique’s cake was the well-documented love relationship with the world’s famous celebrity, Shakira. They met during Shakira’s video recording of ‘Waka Waka’ song for 2010 FIFA World Cup in which Pique was one of the footballers involved. Their love romance ended up with both having their first son born on 2013 named Milan Pique.

  

Did you know?

-After the relationship was beginning to blossom, Pique didn’t allow Shakira to sing or make video recordings with any men in it. Until today!

-When Pique was in the Barcelona youth team, the first team manager at that time, Louis van Gaal, said to him that he was not 'tough enough' to be a good defender.

-Pique and Shakira share the same birthday. But Shakira is 10 years older than Pique!