Raphael Varane became one of the best defenders on the planet at Real Madrid before leaving the Spanish giants for an underwhelming spell at Manchester United, but says he has no regrets.
The Frenchman spent 10 seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, racking up 360 appearances for the iconic club.
It was a decade which saw him win the Champions League four times and La Liga three times, while he was also with Real Madrid when he won the World Cup with France in 2018.
In something of a surprising move he left Madrid for Manchester un 2021, in a time when the Red Devils were not exactly at the peak of their powers.
Three seasons at Old Trafford, which were hampered by injury, did produce an FA Cup and Carabao Cup win, before he left in the summer of 2024 and soon retired due to an ongoing knee problem.
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Still just 31 years old it was a sad ending to a great career but Varane has no regrets in terms of departing Real Madrid for an ‘incredible experience’ in England.
‘It was actually a long process,’ Varane said on The Bridge. ‘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 restructured myself, reviewed some things regarding my career management, and said to myself, I need to keep feeling emotions, I need something different.
‘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,’ he added.
‘Now that some time has passed, I have no regrets because it was an incredible experience.’
Varane left United for Italian side Como but never played a match for him, announcing that he was hanging up his boots in September.
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‘They say all good things must come to an end,’ Varane posted on Instagram. ‘It is with immense pride and a feeling of fulfilment that I am announcing my retirement from the game that we all love.
‘I hold myself to the highest standard, I want to go out strong, not just holding on to the game. It takes a big dose of courage to listen to your heart and your instinct.
‘I have fallen and risen a thousand times, and this time, it’s the moment to stop and hang my boots up with my final game winning a trophy at Wembley.’
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