Pique made 23 first-team appearances in a four-year stay at United, having moved to England as a raw teenager. However, he never looked like becoming a regular in Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up and most people imagined Pique would only be a back-up when he returned 'home' to Barcelona in 2008.
But he has gone on to claim numerous honours including the World Cup with Spain and the Champions League, and Ferdinand said: "Gerard has been phenomenal. From sitting on the bench at United to winning the Champions League, La Liga and the World Cup. If you had told him that was going to happen he wouldn't have believed you."
He added: "Everyone knew how good a player he was. He had so many qualities.
"Maybe he wasn't suited to the Premier League. But Spain suits him down to the ground."
Source: PA
Source: PA