Barcelona star Gerard Pique has revealed that the time he spent at Old Trafford has helped his career flourish.

The Spaniard joined Manchester United as a 17-year-old, but returned to Barcelona just four years later after failing to command a starting place at Old Trafford.

“It was a difficult time and there were hard moments when you don’t understand why you’re not playing,” he told UEFA.com.

“But they had two great central defenders, Rio and Vidić, so it was tough for me to get a chance. It was still a great experience to play there with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, van Nistelrooy.

“I went there when I was 17 and came back when I was 21. The Gerard who went was very different to the one who came back.

“With regards to Sir Alex Ferguson, I have to say that although I didn’t play a lot, I had a good relationship with him. He was always very direct with me. With Sir Alex we talked openly, and I never had a problem.

“Then I got the offer from Barcelona and I went up to him and told him ‘It is a pleasure to play here, but I would like to leave’, that I wanted to go back home. He tried to convince me otherwise, but he understood.”

Pique will have a special motive in the Champions League final and he believes the fans can help Barcelona emerge victorious

“It’s about all the supporters and fans that unite and come to see Barça, no matter where they are from,” he said of the club’s anthem.

“It is about the team, trying to motivate them with this chant. It’s the power all the supporters give to the team, their contribution to taking the last step.

“At Wembley all the supporters will come together and give great support to the team to win the Champions League.”