Raphael Varane has waxed lyrical about one former “incredible” Manchester United star and was blown away by the impact that he had on him in his career.
The 31-year-old former Manchester United defender left Old Trafford last summer after his final performance for the Red Devils in the 2024 FA Cup final.
Raphael Varane was out of contract with the Premier League club and the Frenchman completed a move to Serie A outfit Como last July.
The ex-Real Madrid and United star’s spell in Italy was short-lived and he only made one appearance for Como, with Varane suffering a knee injury on his debut.
Varane announced that he would retire from football at the age of 31 last September, following on from his injury against Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia.
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Raphael Varane of Manchester United heads away from Bernardo Silva of Manchester City during the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester Cit...
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Varane’s admiration for ex-Man Utd star
Raphael Varane had a prolific playing spell at Real Madrid before Manchester United signed the former France defender from Los Blancos in 2021.
The 2018 World Cup winner lifted three La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies and a Copa del Rey during his time in the Spanish capital.
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Varane also crossed paths with former United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo at Madrid, with the Portuguese forward enjoying an incredible spell at the Spanish club.
The ex-France international arrived at Old Trafford in the same transfer window as Cristiano Ronaldo’s blockbuster return to the Premier League club.
Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time and the 40-year-old United legend impressed in his first season during his second spell at the Red Devils.
The former Juventus and Madrid forward scored an impressive 24 times in 39 appearances across all competitions during the 2021-22 campaign.
Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe, Varane said that the “big difference” between Ronaldo and other players is he “invested a lot of money” into improving his career.
The ex-Madrid and United star added that Ronaldo’s willpower cannot be ‘replicated’ and claimed that it was “absolutely extraordinary” to witness it first-hand.
“Firstly, he has an extraordinary physique,” he said, as per Sports Illustrated.
“More importantly, he understood very young, very early on, that he needed to invest in his body to achieve his ambitions.
“He invested a lot of money throughout his career in his care, physically, mentally, or in performance research.
“That’s the big difference with many high-level athletes: he did it from the start of his career when he was at Manchester United.
“What isn’t replicable is his willpower, absolutely extraordinary. His competitiveness is quite incredible, and that will be hard to copy; it’s something you either have or don’t.
“Making sacrifices, taking care of oneself, arriving earlier for training is within everyone’s reach, but it requires willpower. It’s very mental.”
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Varane on monster mentality of Ronaldo
Varane talked up the impact that Cristiano Ronaldo had on him and admitted that his former United and Madrid teammate bordered on “madness” with his regime.
“They say genius borders on madness, and what he does is sometimes a bit mad,” he said.
“It’s so intense that it’s impressive. He inspired me enormously throughout my career.
“Yes, hot bath, cold bath. But that’s not a myth; I did it too. He does it for the physical aspect but also for the mind, to unwind before sleeping.
“He didn’t do it every match nor did [he do] sit-ups all day long every day, but he always maintained this level of demand.”