When he’s not picking up silverware with Barcelona, Gerard Pique has been amassing one of the most impressive shirt collections ever seen in world football.
The Spain defender took to Twitter to reveal some of the shirts he has swapped with fellow players during his time with Spain, Barcelona and Manchester United, posting a picture that resembles a who’s who of modern-day footballers.
The material mosaic, accompanied by the caption: ‘I’m tidying my wardrobe, here we have some shirts that I’ve encountered. Which do you like the most?’, includes the shirts of Francesco Totti, Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho to mention just a few.
Gerard Pique posted a picture of his shirt collection on Twitter – it resembles a who’s who? of footballers
GERARD PIQUE’S SHIRT COLLECTION IS LIKE A WHO’S WHO OF FOOTBALL
The entire roll call of shirts from Pique’s main collection reads (L-R):
Row 1: Francesco Totti, Thierry Henry, Radamel Falcao, John Terry, Patrick Vieira, Rio Ferdinand
Row 2: Andriy Shevchenko, Marik Hamsik, Samir Nasri, Carlos Tevez, Diego Forlan, Ruud van Nistelrooy
Row 3: Karim Benzema, Danny Welbeck, Lionel Messi, Raul, Diego Milito, Franck Ribery
Row 4: Frank Lampard, Segio Aguero, Clarence Seedorf, Neymar, Gianluigi Buffon, Samuel Eto’o
Row 5: Alexandre Pato, David Silva, David Beckham, Stephan El Shaarawy, Yaya Toure, Ronaldinho,
Row 6: Luis Suarez, Cesc Fabregas, Mario Gotze, Daley Blind, Landon Donovan and Andrea Pirlo
The defender has amassed the impressive collection during his time with Spain, Barcelona and Man United
Pique has swapped shirts with one-time team-mates Rio Ferdinand and Cesc Fabregas (right)
Pique has also collected shirts from Spain’s victims en route to winning the 2010 World Cup
Pique reserves special praise for former Spain and Barcelona defensive partner Carles Puyol’s shirt
Pique and Puyol (left) leave the pitch topless after swapping shirts at the end of a Barcelona game
Pique has also collected shirts from each of the countries that Spain defeated during their 2010 World Cup winning campaign, explaining that he swapped shirts with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar after the final, only to frame his own shirt.
The 26-year-old reserves individual acclaim for a few shirts , including that of his former partner in defence at the Nou Camp, Carles Puyol, which is captioned: ‘Finally, a shirt that I have special affection for. He gave me a great friend.’
Barcelona team-mates including Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez are featured along with former players Henry, Ronaldinho, Cesc Fabregas, Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure – while past and present rival Real Madrid stars Karim Benzema, David Beckham and Raul also make the collection.
Of the 36 shirts shown from Pique’s main picture, there are 19 players who have played in the Premier League either past or present including the likes of John Terry, Andriy Shevchenko and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
There are also no less than eight World Cup winners in Totti, Henry, Patrick Vieira, Gianluigi Buffon, Ronaldinho, Cesc Fabregas, Andrea Pirlo and Mario Gotze.
Pique embraces former team-mate Yaya Toure while https://stupidfinding.com/bP3kVL0.Pz3Np/vqb/m/V/JNZrDV0p0RNsjAgZ0ZMrj/M/1-LATQQY2dOADfQryTMrzSYmswapping shirts after a Champions League game
Pique has also included pictures of a pair of Atheltic Bilbao players – Aymeric Laporte and Benat Etxeberria (left) – while he says Sergio Aguero’s shirt (right) is ‘not a bad No 16’
Pique’s collection includes Aguero’s shirts from Atletico Madrid (above) and Manchester City
Pique swaps shirts with Roma’s Ludovic Giuly (left) and former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta (right) during his time with Manchester United
The 26-year-old takes in a tennis match with his pop star partner Shakira and their young son
GERARD PIQUE’S TROPHY HAUL
Manchester United
Premier League: 2007–08
UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
Barcelona
La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13
Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12
Spanish Super Cup: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11
UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011[2]
FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011
Spain
2010 FIFA World Cup
2012 UEFA European Championship
Pique’s Barcelona side remain on course for a Treble this season – they are four points clear in La Liga, face Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final and are favourites to reach the Champions League final following a 3-0 first-leg semi-final defeat of Bayern Munich.
Messi received all the plaudits for a memorable brace against the Germans and Pique agreed with his former manager Pep Guardiola’s comments that the Argentine is ‘unstoppable’.
Speaking to Canal Plus, Pique said: ‘Guardiola was right, I knew an inspired Messi would be impossible to stop.
‘We played a sensational match. Defensively we were strong and, though in the first half we struggled, we smashed them on the counterattack in the second half. We took advantage of our chances.
‘We continued our habit this year of conceding few goals. At the Allianz Arena it will be tight, but let’s go there to win again. Barca only know how to win.’
Messi was sensational in scoring a memorable brace against Bayern Munich in the Champions League
Diego Simeone believes Neymar (right) and Luis Suarez are behind Messi’s return to top form.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has credited Luis Suarez and Neymar for returning Messi back to his phenomenal best.
The Argentina superstar was sensational against Bayern Munich last week, although Simeone insists Barcelona are about more than just Messi.
Speaking in his Goal.com column, the Atletico Madrid manager said: ‘He is an extraordinary footballer and after the game (against Bayern), much was written and said about whether there is a system to stop him. But it’s not as simple as that.
‘It’s not only Messi, however – it’s Barcelona.
‘Suarez gives Barca the aggression that is so important in the attacking third; Neymar is there to finish off a counter-attack, an individual action or a collective move; the presence of Ivan Rakitic makes Barca more aggressive in midfield and in winning the ball back; Javier Mascherano in defence is everywhere; Gerard Pique has been immense this year; and the full backs attack constantly,’ he added.
PS HERE’S CHARLIE ADAM’S PERSONAL SHIRT COLLECTION
Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam’s collection is not quite as impressive as Pique’s but he has managed to ascertain shirts from the like of Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney and Luis Suarez over the years.
Charlie Adam has joined Pique in taking to social media to post an image of his personal shirt collection.
source: dailymail.co.uk
