Gerard Piqué: 'Leo Messi is an alien'

Gerard Piqué is one of teammate Leo Messi’s biggest fans, and he further hailed his Barça colleague’s quality in a recent interview with The Players' Tribune.

“Leo Messi is an alien; he’s not from this planet. This guy is from somewhere else, as what he does isn’t human,” the centre back told the magazine.

Of course, Piqué gets the chance to see the Argentine’s skill on a daily basis, and he is particularly impressed by his work off the ball.

“Messi’s real magic can’t be found on YouTube videos. It’s a subtle expression for the eyes. You’d need 5000 words to describe it,” he explained.

“Sir Alex Ferguson was like a second father to me”

The interview also covered his own career, including an important spell at Manchester United in which he worked with one of the game’s most legendary coaches.

“Sir Alex Ferguson treated me phenomenally well from day one,” recalled Piqué. “He was like a second father to me. I had to earn it, but he gave me an opportunity.”

Reviewing the ups and downs of his career, Piqué looked back on a mistake he made with Manchester United against Bolton that had him fearing for his place –before he signed for Barça and won the treble soon after.

“That mistake made me feel like it was the end. However, by the time I was 24 I’d reached the peak of football and won everything. Football is tough; it’s not like the movies.”