Born 2 February 1987 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Gerard Piqué is a Spanish footballer, currently playing as a centre back for Barcelona, Piqué also represents the Spanish national team often, making his debut on 11 February 2009, and as of July 2010, he has earned 27 caps, scoring four goals. He was ever-present in the Spain team that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and also in Barcelona’s team that won the Spanish Primera Liga 2009/2010 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 2009/2010 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Piqué was raised in a wealthy Catalan family. His father is a lawyer, and his mother is the director of a medical institute. His grandfather, Amador Bernabeu, is the former vice-president of Barcelona.
The Catalan is a tall defender (1.92m tall and weighing 85 kg). His physical size and good technical skills make him strong in the air but avid with the ball. He also knows how to put these qualities to use in attack, especially from dead ball situations. Apart from centre-half, Piqué can also play in front of the back four, as he used to play during his time with Real Zaragoza.
A product of Barça's cantera, he initially left the club for Manchester United in 2004, where he remained for four years, before returning to Barça under Josep Guardiola's leadership, helping the club become the first Spanish club ever to complete the treble. Piqué is one of four players to have ever won the UEFA Champions League two years in a row with different teams in the history of football, the others being Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa and Samuel Eto'o.
