"I think in football you have to challenge yourself" - 29-year-old star insists he does not regret joining Manchester United 

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has insisted that he has no regrets about joining the Red Devils last summer, as per 90min.

Varane, 29, arrived at Old Trafford from Real Madrid for £36 million in August 2021, ending a 10-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The French centre-back had huge success at Madrid, winning the UEFA Champions League four times as well as three La Liga titles.

However, it was a somewhat difficult debut season for Varane at Manchester United, which coincided with a woeful campaign for the club as a whole.

The Red Devils only managed a sixth-placed finish in the league.

Injury issues plagued much of Varane's campaign, with the defender making 28 appearances across all competitions.

Meanwhile, his former Los Blancos side shone throughout last season, winning both the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League.

However, despite many thinking Varane is perhaps regretting his decision to join United, the player is adamant he made the right choice.

Asked the 29-year-old whether he was having second thoughts about his move to Old Trafford, he replied:

“I think in football you have to challenge yourself and you have to try to improve and I wanted to live another experience after 10 years in the same place – so, no.

Varane continued:

“I think the Premier League is absolutely fantastic and Manchester United are a great club, so there was no doubt about my decision.”

Varane also reflected on his own contributions last season, believing that he could have done better:

“Obviously I wanted to play a little bit more but that’s part of football and we’re looking forward for the next season. I think the confidence was something important and we lost the confidence when we lost some games.

He concluded:

“I think a lot of things we could do better and obviously we want to improve for the next season. I think we need consistency and we need to build this confidence.”

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Raphael Varane could flourish for Manchester United next season

Raphael Varane has a fresh start next season

Manchester United have already shown signs of improvement under Erik ten Hag during pre-season.

The Red Devils are much more organized and look like they have built an understanding of the type of football the Dutch tactician wants to implement.

It bodes well for Raphael Varane, who will have the opportunity to play under a coach who has a particular vision for the side.

There are some question marks as to whether the French star will start in Ten Hag's side given the acquisition of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax.

But if he can get back to his prime Madrid best, Varane might just keep club captain Harry Maguire out of United's starting XI.