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May the 28th is already in most peoples diaries for a special sporting occasion, its of course the day of the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United. Nobody quite knows yet what Orlando Cepeda Jersey will be in store when the final comes around in a couple of weeks time, but fans will be hoping for a highly contested fixture between the Champions of La Liga and the nearly crowned Champions of the English Premier League. For one player in particular the Champions League final will just be that little bit extra special, 24 year old central defender Gerard Pique will be turning out for Barcelona against his former side Manchester United.Pique joined the Red Devils in the year 2004 after decidingagainst a profe sional contract with Barcelona, after switching alliancesfans knew very little of a then17 year old teenager in the name of Gerard Pique, what was to come from the youngsterslowlysailed into the mist after a four year stay with the Red Devils; however letting Gerard Pique leave Old Trafford has been one of the biggest mistakes Sir Alex Ferguson has ever made in his illustrious career as the manager of Manchester United. Like Piqueover the years manager Sir AlexFerguson has seen many promising talentsdepartOld Trafford to achieve greater succe ses elsewhere.Striker Dion Dublin departed from ManchesterUnited in the year 1994, a promising striker who went onto achieve England Caps and the Premier League golden boot inseason 1997-1998. More recently another vibrant youngster in Giuseppe Ro si only featured five times for Manchester United between the year 2005 and theyear 2007, after struggling to feature for AlexFergusons superb United side, he is now plying his trade for Spanish side Villarreal, where he has caught the attention of Premier League sides such as Tottenham Hotspur in particular.Gerard Pique along with Dion Dublin and Giuseppe Ro si all feature in a small group of players, who Manchester United shouldnt of really lost.Gerard Pique featured only23 times for Manchester United, he made his first Jose Ramirez Jersey teamstart at the tender age of seventeen in the surprising 0-0 FA Cup draw against Exeter City in the year2005. Season 2007-2008 Pique made a total of twelve appearances, nine of which came in the Premier League. His first goal for the Red Devils came against Dynamo Kiev in a 4-0 Champions League win at Old Trafford.That season Gerard Pique surprisingly left OldTrafford after claiming a Premier League and a Champions League winnersmedal, even though Pique had a number of succe ses on his footballing cv his frustrating time as a bit part player eventually deteriorated.He decided to re join the club where he began his youth career, FC Barcelona. At that period of time Sir AlexFerguson wouldnthave even thought about Gerard Pique, and what he may achieve at Barcelona in the next couple of years. For a player who only featured a total of 23 times for one of the most prolific sides in Europe, Pique has recently gone on to achieve international caps plusLa Liga and another Champions League winners medal with Barcelona. Nobody at Manchester United including their fans alone wouldnt of gue sed what the future held for a player of Gerard Piques stature, for many United fans a defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Bobby Cox Jersey Nemanja Vidic was starting to blo som, as the pair were producing outstanding performances for the Red Devils week in week out, Pique was just a player who failed to cement a place in the Sir Alex Fergusons set up as he slowly slipped away.As mentioned above Pique has received three La Liga winners medals, plus his second Champions League winners medal while playing for Barcelona. Pique along with three other players have been able to win the Champions League back to back with different clubs, the other three being Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa and Samuel Etoo that achievement just speaks for itself. With the Champions League final fast approaching only yesterday in an article Rio Ferdinand stated that he has been surprised with the achievements Gerard Pique has managed to Bob Uecker Jersey accomplishafter leaving Manchester United in the year 2008,theEngland centre back said Gerardhas been phenomenal, from sitting on the bench at United to winning the Champions League, La Ligaand World Cup. If you had told him that was going to happen he wouldnt of believed you.The 24 year old has certainly surprised many football fans over the past couple of years and as Rio Ferdinand mentioned, Pique has also claimed a World Cup winners medal after winning the prestigious prize last summer.Pique has played a pivotal role alongsideCarlos Puyolfor Barcelona and for Spain in the last couple of seasons, aswell as playing behind two of the most gifted players in this modern era in Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Pique has relished the challenge of playing for a fantastic Barcelona side, in which he Chipper Jones Jersey hasmatured into one of the most gifted defenders in World football, strong, athletic andcapable offinding the net theSpanish international has all the attributes to become a legend in Spanish football.From the Manchester United bench to the Barcelonastarting eleven, Gerard Piques careerhas flourished into a superb fairytale. Also a member of the Spain World Cup winning side of 2010, Sir Alex Ferguson probably often regrets the day he let a star in Gerard Pique leave Old Trafford, on the other hand Barcelona has revitalized the 24 year olds career. Pique in the past has praised the current Barcelona bo s Pep Guardiola, ashe hasoftenthankedhis coachfor changing his footballing career for the better.From a United perspective Pique was a talentthat slipped away, but for Barcelona Gerard has been an amazing thorn in the heart of the defence. Pique has been on a rollercoaster ride since he joinedManchester United in the year 2004, butthe next task in Piques career is trying to secure yet another Champions league winners medal with FC Barcelona, what will the future bring for this talented footballer?