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Raphael Varane has revealed that he parted ways with Real Madrid to try something different in his career. The French defender left Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2021 to move to Manchester United.
The Red Devils reportedly paid £41 million for his signature. Varane spent three seasons at Old Trafford, winning the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.
Speaking on Aurelien Tchouameni's podcast, Varane added that he first thought of leaving Los Blancos in 2018.
“You do not just wake up one morning and decide to leave Madrid. It was in 2018, after winning our fourth Champions League title. It felt like nothing special – just another normal thing. You win the Champions League, and people are already asking for the next one,” said Varane.
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He continued:
“I had won it all. I had everything. I reached a point where I had to rethink and manage my career differently. I needed to feel something different, to experience ‘that’ feeling again.”
Varane added that while Real Madrid was special, he also has fond memories from his time with Manchester United.
“Madrid was… I cannot describe it. It was exceptional. But I had already experienced it. I wanted something different. For me, England and Manchester have something special,” said Varane.
The Frenchman registered 95 appearances across competitions for the Red Devils before leaving last summer. He retired from football in September last year.
How many trophies did Raphael Varane win with Real Madrid?
Raphael Varane joined Real Madrid from Lens in the summer of 2011 and went on to spend a decade at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Frenchman was crucial to the LaLiga giants' success during his stay, racking up 360 appearances across competitions.
Varane went on to win the league three times and the Champions League on four occasions. He also won the Copa del Rey once and the Supercopa de Espana thrice with Los Blancos.
The Frenchman has three UEFA Super League titles to his name from his time with Real Madrid. He won the FIFA Club World Cup on four occasions, all with the LaLiga champions.
Varane also won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the 2020-21 Nations League with France. He has appeared 93 times for Les Bleus during his career.
Since leaving Real Madrid, Varane missed 54 games for club and country due to injuries before announcing his retirement.
