The unveiling of Raphael Varane, ahead of Manchester United’s victory over Leeds in 2021, was a fantastic moment for the Old Trafford crowd. Somehow the club had kept it quiet so it was a huge shock to see the hugely decorated defender stroll out on to the turf.

His time at United was plagued by injury but he was able to leave on a high when winning the FA Cup against Manchester City in his final game.

In an interview with The Athletic, Varane has reflected on what life was like at United playing for Erik ten Hag.

There was very little flexibility in terms of adapting on the pitch. The game plans were very, very precise, with lots and lots of information. It was different.

It’s hard to find the right words. It was very tense at times. Sometimes he [Ten Hag] made an effort to listen to the players’ feedback. Sometimes he made decisions without listening to the players’ feelings. So there were ups and downs. It was complicated at times.

We had a robust discussion. We told each other some truths, but then I didn’t play for almost two months. I said I didn’t agree with certain ways of doing things regarding the relationship between him and the team. It wasn’t something that I thought was good for the team because some of the players weren’t at all satisfied. It was not good in terms of the relationship with the coach. He said ‘OK, I hear what you said’ and after that I didn’t play.

He always needed an example of a player who was alone the entire time he was at Manchester. He did that with at least one important player on the team. He was always in conflict with certain leaders of the group. That is his way of managing.

Varane left on a free transfer in the summer and expected Ten Hag to leave too. The Dutchman ended up signing a contract extension, only to be sacked a few months later, but Varane wasn’t shocked to see him go.

I was surprised he stayed. The connection with the group no longer existed.

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