Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has claimed that Manchester United‘s senior players were “a**holes” to him while he was trying to break into the first- team at Old Trafford.
Pique spent four years at United between 2004 and 2008 but struggled to establish himself as a first-team regular at Old Trafford with Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand ahead of him.
And Pique, who has since gone on to win three Champions League titles and six La Liga trophies, has claimed the senior players made it very difficult for the younger members of the squad during his time in Manchester.
“They adapt very well, it’s not like before,” Pique told Spanish radio station Onda Cero, as reported by Goal, when asked how easily Spanish youngster break into the senior team.
“When I was seventeen, eighteen years old and tried to make the jump to the first team at Manchester, it was much more difficult, senior players were a**holes.
“Now you make a little joke and it seems to be a crime. 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!”
Pique has gone on to become one of the best defenders in Europe and will start in the heart of Spain’s defence at Euro 2016.
United, meanwhile, are in search of a regular centre-back pairing once again at the club with Jose Mourinho making Ivorian defender Eric Bailly his first signing since becoming manager.
Chris Smalling has emerged as United’s first-choice in the middle of the back four and will likely start for England in their Group B opener against Russia on Saturday, though it remains unclear whether Mourinho envisages him as a starting centre-back in his new-look Red Devils side.
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