25 February 2023 , 22:30
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Raphael Varane has won the Champions League more times than Manchester United.
The Frenchman has a World Cup medal, is a three-time La Liga winner and has even been knighted by his country. But while Varane may have spent the peak years of his career at Real Madrid after Sir Alex Ferguson pulled out of a deal to bring him to Old Trafford from Lens as a teenager at the 11th hour, he views the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle as an important step on another journey to the top.
“Winning becomes an addiction,” he said. “When you start to win, you just want to win again and again and do nothing else.
“You start to believe that anything is possible. Of course, you also need a bit of luck along the way - but sometimes when you are more confident you bring the luck along with you.
“When you can grow with the club and the team, that’s a great feeling. With Madrid, my best memories were when we were climbing and on the journey rather than the arrival.
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“Honestly, it’s better when you’re going up. When you are on the top the only thing that can change is to disappoint. That’s why our first objective is to win this final because it’s the first step. What we all want is to see Man United back at the top and playing in the Champions League every year.”
Varane has just retired from international football at the age of 29 after winning the last of his 93 caps in France's World Cup Final defeat to Argentina. But he still has unfinished business.
Raphael Varane is desperate to win the Carabao Cup with Man Utd this weekend (Manchester United via Getty Images)Brazilian midfielder Casemiro arrived last summer to give manager Erik ten Hag another dose of the Madrid mentality that Varane is talking about. The centre-back won the Champions League four times during at the Bernabeu.
And he admits the fear of failure is still driving him on. Varane said: “Of course I feel it when it’s a big game. When it’s special, like a final, you feel different from the moment you wake up in the morning.
“You feel the atmosphere change. But that gives you energy - because it’s natural that when you’re scared you run faster! So you have to use that pressure to be better and more focussed. You have to control it to be at the top of the game and reach your capacity.”
Varane has been a rock at the heart of United’s defence this season - and has not allowed the heartbreak he suffered in Qatar the week before Christmas affect his form. He smiles as he says: “It’s easier to handle losing a World Cup final when you’ve already won one.
“I had to play for United on December 27 because some players were ill, so I had no time to switch off and switch back on again. I just stayed in the same competitive mood. My focus was exactly the same for the Premier League as it was for the World Cup.
“Pressure is something that is very important in my game. If I play without pressure I don’t play very well. I need that tension to be at 100 percent in my performance.”
Varane can also now laugh about the memory of his failed move to United in 2011. Then Ferguson opted to spend £16.5.million to bring in Phil Jones from Blackburn - and the rest is history.
Raphael Varane was a wonder kid at Lens in France - and almost joined Man Utd in 2010 (Dave Winter / Icon Sport)Varane recalled: “It was all agreed between Lens and Manchester - but then I think Manchester changed their mind. If I remember, the signed a different player or had different options.
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“I was 18 and very happy in Lens. Okay it was a great opportunity, but I knew another opportunity would soon come. I can’t have any regrets about how it turned out.
“I have spoken to Sir Alex since I have been here, but I didn’t mention what happened back then. I didn’t want to say something negative, you know? I have too much respect for him.”