Gerard Pique

“I am privileged and very happy to be a professional sportsperson, but should that make people so angry?”

“It changes everything, absolutely everything. The love you feel for your child transforms everything. Now you have someone helpless and tiny that depends on you and only you. You look at him and know that your world is focused on him, on that part of you.”

“I've been playing very well for a number of years.”

“I have not betrayed Barca, and I'm surprised anyone would doubt my commitment to Barcelona, because I've been a fan since birth.”

“It seems like when I don't talk so much, people praise my performances more.”

“I think Jurgen Klopp is doing a great job at Liveprool. The style of play is the opposite of Guardiola.”

“Players like Neymar are great for football.”

“At Barcelona, we didn't do gym work until the age of 18. That was really hard.”

“I was 17 years old and missed many things about Barcelona, particularly the food. Fortunately, Sir Alex Ferguson realised my situation and helped me to grow. For me, the gaffer was like a second father.”

“We have to enjoy ourselves and go for every trophy we can.”

“I've done most of my career with Barca, with the exception of the period I played for Manchester United.”

“Being called up to the national team isn't a competition of who's more patriotic.”

“I always said that Messi has some talent that no one has. I mean, he has the ball and his speed controlling the ball. The ball doesn't go two metres far from his foot; it's always there. It's impossible to catch him. This talent I didn't see from anyone.”

“I learned so much during my time at United. Sharing a dressing room with Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Ryan Giggs at such a young age was an amazing experience. I didn't play as much as I would have liked, but it was a master's degree in development both as a player and a person.”

“Politics is always a difficult thing to talk about because, like football, the views are radical. You think this way; that guy thinks the opposite way. It is, like, nearly a fight, and feelings are very strong.”

“I am and feel Catalan.”

“Real Madrid are such an immense team - a big, big club.”

“I would prefer to keep my distance a bit from the cameras. I want to keep a private life.”

“Cristiano Ronaldo has not changed since we were both at Manchester United.”