Spirit, philosophy and passion: Raphael Varane opens up on why he signed for United

Raphael Varane reflected on his switch from Real Madrid to Manchester United in a recent episode of ‘What I Wore’ with BT Sport.

The Frenchman moved from one European giant to another when he decided to pull the curtains on an illustrious 10-year stint with Real and tackle England’s top flight with the 20-time champions. He has since been an irreplaceable cog at the heart of United’s defence.

This season, he has formed a formidable partnership with summer signing Lisandro Martinez, so it’s unfortunate that the pair’s campaign together was cut short due to injuries.

Varane has been sidelined since April 13 with an ankle injury but is expected to return soon, perhaps even this weekend when the Red Devils take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford.

Varane’s illustrious career

It’s no wonder why the Frenchman boasts one of the most remarkable trophy cabinets and honours lists in world football; a World Cup, four Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles and four Club World Cups – to name a few, as he is undoubtedly one of the most talented centre-backs of his generation.

The 30-year-old lifted his first trophy as a Red back in February when a 2-0 win at Wembley saw United crowned Carabao Cup winners, and he has the chance to add another on June 3 in the FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Looking back on his transfer to United, Varane said (via the Man Utd website): “It was a great moment. It’s a huge club with some of the best fans in the world and the history of the club is something special.

“Everything [about the club], the spirit, the philosophy, the passion around the club, it is something very special and different.”

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