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MANCHESTER - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said Gerard Pique had a bright future at Old Trafford after the Spanish defender marked his full Champions League debut with his first goal for the club.
Pique has been limited to nine starting appearances since joining United from Barcelona in
2004 and spent last season back in Spain on loan at Real Zaragoza.
But Ferguson, who included Pique in the United side which beat Dynamo Kiev 4-0 to secure qualification to the Champions League knockout stages on Thursday, said the 20-year-old was part of his long-term plans.
Ferguson told reporters: "Zaragoza tried to buy him in the summer of course. They offered a lot of money for him but the boy has got a future here.
"He can play centre midfield, right back and centre back, which is his natural position and there is absolutely no intention for us to let the boy go."
Pique has watched former Barcelona youth team colleague Cesc Fabregas emerge as an important player for United's English Premier League title rivals Arsenal.
However, Ferguson has reassured Pique that his development was always likely to be slower than Arsenal's attacking midfield player.
He added: "We had to impress upon him that his physique when he was a young kid was nothing like Fabregas and being a centre half he needed more time to strengthen and get more experience as a defender and he and his parents understood that completely.
"His loan spell to Zaragoza was about that, about strengthening him and getting him more experience and tougher because defenders need to be strong and he is coming along the right way."
Pique also faces tough competition to gain a regular central defensive position at Old Trafford, where full internationals Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, who has just agreed a contract to remain with United until 2012, form the bedrock of Ferguson's back four.
But after selecting Pique, rather than the rested Ferdinand, to face Kiev, Ferguson promised further first-team opportunities for the former Spain under-19 international.
"There will be many, many opportunities when he will play when I need to rest defenders and I have the great option of being able to play him in midfield or right back.
"I have no worries about that. I know that the course we have set for Gerard Pique is a good one."
- REUTERS