February 02, (THEWILL) – France and Manchester United defender, Raphael Varane, has announced his retirement from the national team at the age of 29. With 93 caps to his name, Varane was a key member of the squad that won the World Cup in 2018 and came close to repeating the feat at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Varane wrote in a farewell letter on Instagram: “Representing our great country for a decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life. Every time I wore this special blue jersey, I felt immense pride. The duty to give everything, to play with my heart and to win every time we stepped on the field.”
He went on to say: “I’ve been thinking about this for several months and decided it was the right time for me to retire internationally. The time has come for the new generation to pick up the slack.”
France manager, Didier Deschamps, paid tribute to Varane, saying: “I experienced a situation somewhat similar to his. I understand his arguments and respect his decision, even if it may seem regrettable in view of all that he was able to do with the selection until the World Cup during which he behaved, from start to finish, like the leader we know.”
Deschamps added: “Raphael has played a pivotal role on and off the pitch for the past decade. I took great pleasure in being his coach and I know that this is also the case for all of my staff. I wish him the best development and the best possible happiness.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
