#2 Gerard Pique
When Luis Enrique took over as Barcelona manager in 2014, Gerard Pique was not one of the first names on the team sheet. The Spaniard was benched in favour of Jeremy Mathieu initially, but the former Manchester United man won his place back by putting in brilliant performances when he was handed a chance.
Pique went on to become one of the first names on the team sheet for Barcelona and was one of the architects behind Barcelona’s eventual treble win. The aspect of his game on which Pique improved massively was his leadership qualities on the pitch and it was something which he lacked while partnering Carles Puyol. The 27-year-old also chipped in with seven goals last season which was his highest tally for a season.
The defender’s contributions towards Barcelona’s successful campaign didn’t go unnoticed as he was rightly named in the UEFA Champions League squad of the season for 2014/15 and the La Liga Team of the Season for 2014/15.
Pique is likely to be shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or and it is also very likely that he will be part of the FIFAPro World XI for the fourth time in his career.
Published 29 Sep 2015, 18:51 IST