Gerard Pique reveals he dodged a drink driving charge when at Man United by sucking on a COIN

Gerard Pique has revealed he escaped a drink driving charge when at Manchester United by sucking on a coin - but still got into trouble with Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Spanish defender was a United player from 2004 until 2008 with this particular incident happening the year before he returned to Barcelona.

He was 20 years of age when he drove through a red light in Manchester, was pulled over by the police, failed a breathalyzer test and was arrested.

Pique relayed the extraordinary story to The Wild Project YouTube channel: 'I ran a traffic light and was stopped by the police.

'It was the year before I went to Barca. Suddenly I blow, I test positive and I find myself in a police van handcuffed going to jail.

'All the drunkenness left me suddenly. My career is going to hell. At that moment you think, 'What the hell is going on?'

'They give you the bag to put everything you have [in], and they took me to a room. The policeman left for a moment, and I was desperate.

'I had some coins left. Some time ago I had been told that if you sucked on the coins you would not test positive. I started to suck them.

'Miraculously I was saved from that one. I doubt it was the coins. Instead of going home, I went to the casino by taxi.'

Even though Pique avoided a charge, he couldn't escape Ferguson and his network of spies.

He added: 'I found out later that Ferguson knew, in Manchester everyone knows who you are and someone from the police must have told him.

'One day he said to me, 'You should know that I know'. I said nothing and that was it.

'I imagine that he found out some time after. If he had found out the next day I might have been in more trouble.'

At the end of the 2007-08 season, after he'd made 23 appearances for United, Pique re-signed for his boyhood club Barcelona for £5million.

He has since played over 600 games for the club, winning eight LaLiga titles, seven Spanish Cups and three Champions League titles.

Pique has also made 102 appearances for Spain, winning the World Cup and the European Championship.