Raphael Varane has been reflecting on his time at Manchester United after hanging up his boots earlier this season.
The 31-year-old, who left Real Madrid for Manchester United in 2021, won two trophies in England after winning all there is to win during his 10-year stint at the Bernabeu.
Raphael Varane joined Italian club Como on a free transfer in July but suffered a knee injury on his debut against Sampdoria. That led to his decision to retire, but the World Cup winner has remained in a non-playing role at the club.
While United didn’t have Raphael Varane at his peak, the former France international was instrumental in triumphs that saw Erik ten Hag win the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. He was exceptional in United’s 2-1 win over Man City at Wembley last season, but Ineos had already decided not to offer him a new contract.
Injuries were Varane’s biggest problem at Old Trafford, although his quality was never in doubt.
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Raphael Varane explains Manchester United transfer
Many fans will remember how Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to sign Raphael Varane when he was a prospect at Lens.
United fell short in their pursuit of Varane before he decided to join Real Madrid in 2011.
It was a different story 10 years later when United rekindled their interest in the Frenchman. After winning 18 trophies at Real Madrid, including four Champions League titles, Varane felt he was ready for something new.
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Appearing on The Bridge, a French-speaking podcast, Varane was joined by Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
Tchoumeni was previously linked with a move to United and appeared keen to get the rationale behind Varane’s decision to leave Madrid for Manchester.
“It was actually a long process,” Varane said. “It’s not like you wake up in the morning and say I want to leave.
“In 2018, I won everything; in fact, we celebrated our fourth Champions League title quickly. It was like a normal thing, the next step is to win the Champions League and think about the next one.
“Then I won the World Cup and I said to myself, I’ve done it all. There came a point in my life where I restricted myself, reviewed some things regarding my career management, and said to myself, I need to keep feeling emotions, I need something different.”
Varane went on to explain how he felt the passion for football in Manchester. He also revealed he has no regrets after enjoying his spell at Old Trafford.
“Madrid is indescribable, it’s exceptional, but I’ve already experienced it. And I said to myself, I want to experience something else. For me, England, and Manchester in particular, is where you feel the passion for football, you feel it, you live it every day.
“Now that some time has passed, I have no regrets because it was an incredible experience.”
These comments may convince Tchouameni – or other players at Madrid – to join United in the future. The La Liga giants have no shortage of world-class players that make them contenders in Europe’s most prestigious competition each year.
Varane hails Jose Mourinho
Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho spent three years at Real Madrid between 2010-2013, winning La Liga and Copa del Rey.
Varane expressed gratitude towards Mourinho, who signed him for Madrid in 2011, and played a pivotal role in his development as a centre-back.
“I can only be grateful to him,” Varane said. “Because even though Zizou [Zinedine Zidane] called me initially, it was Mourinho who ultimately brought me to Madrid.
“When I arrived, he told me: ‘I only want one thing: for an hour and a half every day, you give it your all. Don’t worry about the rest, you’ll improve, I’ll take care of it. Relax.”
However, there was a tough love element to Mourinho that helped kick Varane into gear as he eventually became a regular, having had to compete for a place at centre-back with Sergio Romero and Pepe.
Varane reflected on an unforgettable conversation with Mourinho that proved a turning point in his illustrious career.
“One day, at the beginning of the season, he called me. The team hadn’t started well, and I remember it clearly – we were in the gym.
“He looked at me and said: ‘But why are you useless?’ I was shocked and annoyed. I told him it wasn’t easy because I wasn’t playing, and the start of the season had been difficult.”
Mourinho followed up with an opportunity for Varane as he’d start against Manchester City in the Champions League the following week. It was a crucial moment for the defender.
“He then asked me if I was ready to play the following Wednesday,” Varane concluded. “It was against Manchester City, and I started ahead of Sergio Ramos. If I made a mistake, it was over, it was all over. I would have likely been loaned out.
“After the game, I recovered, and the season started again as planned. The second half of that season was the best half of my career. Mourinho brought out the best in me.”