Gerard Pique Talks Growing Up at Barcelona with Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has revealed to FourFourTwo magazine (via Sport) what it was like playing in Barcelona's youth teams with Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas:

"

It was a great team that’s gone on to do great things around Europe. Me and Cesc were always getting into scrapes.

Away trips and tournaments were the best. We were always in and out of each others rooms, playing FIFA or a game of cards. Messi was certainly very introverted at the beginning, but we played a tournament in Switzerland when he really came out of his shell and stopped being "the mute."

"

The Spain defender spent seven years in the Barca academy between 1997 and 2004, before returning to his childhood club in 2008 after a spell with Manchester United. It was at Old Trafford that he played alongside Messi's rival for the title of the world's best player.

"It’s difficult for a kid to adapt to a new continent, but he’s [Messi] since shown himself to be the best in the world. An incredible talent, and remember: I’ve played with Cristiano Ronaldo, too."

[FourFourTwo, h/t Sport]