Pique earns Rio praise

Nemanja Vidic returned against Blackburn but Rio Ferdinand says he has every confidence in Gerard Pique should the young Spaniard be required to step in against his old club on Wednesday.

Pique, a versatile defender who can also push into midfield, arrived at Old Trafford from Barcelona in July 2004 after spending seven years in the Catalan club’s junior ranks.

First-team opportunites at United have been limited, although with Vidic recently sidelined with a knee injury the 21-year-old partnered Rio Ferdinand in the heart of the Reds’ defence.

And Ferdinand saw enough to convince him Pique has what it takes to perform consistently at the top level.

“Gerard Pique is a class player,” Ferdinand told ManUtd.com.

“Remember, he spent a whole season on loan at Real Zaragosa [in 2006/07] and after that spell there were a few clubs interested in him because of his quality.

"But the manager wanted to keep him, which shows how good he must be.

“There’s absolutely no question that Gerard Pique is a very good player. He’s extremely technically sound and he’s comfortable with the ball at his feet.”

Press reports have linked Pique with a possible move back to Spain at the end of this season, but Ferdinand is adamant there’s a future for the defender at Old Trafford.

“Like anybody, Gerard wants to play regularly and he might not have played as often as he’d have liked this season,” he said.

“But the manager showed great faith in him by playing him against Arsenal recently.

"He slotted in terrifically in that match. It was a massive game and he showed he could play on the big stage when it was necessary.

“That game was really significant to the title race, so he would have had a confidence boost by being selected for that match. He’ll know just how highly the manager rates him.”