5 players who flopped in the Premier League but flourished elsewhere

3. Gerard Pique

Sir Alex Ferguson may have written Gerard Pique off a little too early...

It’s almost unfair to call Gerard Pique a Premier League flop as his tenure at Manchester United was relatively brief, but the Spanish centre-back still spent four seasons at Old Trafford even if he didn’t appear all that much. His displays as a 20-year old in the 2007/08 season, though, were more than enough for legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to write him off as any kind of future prospect.

Most notably, Pique started in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers in November 2007, a match that saw the Spaniard have an absolute stinker. Not only did he fail to contain Bolton’s forward Nicolas Anelka, but he also missed an easy header to allow the Frenchman to score the winning goal.

Pique himself has said his performance in that match was enough to make Ferguson’s mind up, and it came as no surprise when he was sold to Barcelona – his boyhood club – in the summer of 2008. What did come as a surprise however is the success the centre-back has had since making the move to the Nou Camp.

By the end of 2008/09, Pique was a starter in what is now widely considered the greatest club side of all time, as the season saw Barcelona complete an epic treble, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.

Pique has since gone on to win a further 7 La Liga titles and two Champions League titles with the Blaugrana, making 515 appearances along the way, as well as winning the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship with Spain. Not bad for a player deemed not good enough for Manchester United!