Pique joy at Barca return

Defender delighted to pen four-year contract

By Lucas Brown   Last updated: 27th May 2008  

Pique joy at Barca return

Pique: Delighted at return

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Gerard Pique could not hide his delight after sealing his return to Barcelona four years after leaving to join Manchester United.

After rising through the youth team ranks at Camp Nou, Pique opted to try his luck at Manchester United but, after failing to dislodge Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic's impressive defensive partnership, he jumped at the chance to return to Barca.

The Catalan central defender admits that he always dreamed of returning to Camp Nou one day to play for his childhood club and has conceded that his return has not yet registered as reality.

"It is a dream to return to Barca. When I left I thought it would be very difficult to come back but now the dream is a reality," he told Barca TV.

Full steam ahead

"Coming here was my first and only option. If there was a chance I had to try and once Barca and Manchester came to an agreement, it was full steam ahead.

"This is a big move for me and I was very nervous before actually signing the contract in the club's offices because I knew that I would be pulling on a Barca shirt again."

Having come full circle, Pique believes that he is returning to Barca a better player for his experience in England, where he certainly had some successful times.

"As a player you grow a lot, in a personal and football sense. In the latter aspect you learn a lot from being surrounded by top level players," he continued.

"With Manchester we won the Champions League and that was an unforgettable experience, and an experience I hope I can repeat in a Barca shirt."

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