Manchester United pay tribute to retiring Barcelona legend Gerard Pique

Manchester United have paid tribute to their former defender and Barcelona legend Gerard Pique following his retirement.

The Red Devils published an article on their official website wishing the Spaniard all the best for his future endeavors.

The article ended with a message stating: "All at United would like to wish Gerard well in his retirement".

Pique sent an absolute shocker to everyone on Thursday by announcing his retirement from the game.

The World Cup-winning defender made his final appearance in a Barcelona shirt on Saturday as they defeated Almeria 2-0 at Camp Nou.

While he will forever be remembered as a Barcelona legend, Pique also had a spell with Manchester United.

He joined the Premier League giants in 2004 from Barca as a youth prospect and went on to make 23 appearances for the Red Devils.

End of Gerard Pique’s era as football player. History. 🔵🔴 #FCB #Piqué https://t.co/1MFrEHieVv

Pique made his Manchester United debut in October 2004 against Crewe Alexandra in the League Cup, helping his side win 3-0.

Pique couldn't quite become a first-team regular at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson due to strong competition for places.

He won three trophies for Manchester United, including one Premier League title and one Champions League,

His boyhood club Barcelona eventually came back calling for his services in 2008 and Pique has not looked back since.

He became a crucial part of the Blaugrana over the next 14 and a half years and won a total of 30 trophies during his time at Camp Nou.

Pique won eight La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues with the Catalan giants. He also won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and the UEFA European Championship in 2012 with Spain.

Former Manchester United defender Gerard Pique was in tears while bidding goodbye to Barcelona and the Camp Nou crowd

Gerard Pique broke down in tears while delivering an emotional farewell speech at Camp Nou on Saturday evening.

He played 83 minutes for Barca as they defeated Almeria 2-0 at Camp Nou before being replaced by Andreas Christensen.

Barcelona players wore Gerard Pique shirts before his final game at Camp Nou 🥺 https://t.co/W3IpCr3wVj

After performing a lap of honor after his 616th game for the Catalan club, he delivered an emotional farewell message.

He thanked all his Barcelona teammates and coaching staff for making things easy for him.

Gerard Pique claimed that his deep love for the club made him realize that it was his time to quit. He also hinted at the possibility of a return to his boyhood club in some capacity in the future.