'It's difficult' - Raphael Varane drops hint on Manchester United future with injury admission

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has shared his concerns about the demands that the football calendar is placing on players’ health.

Varane, 30, arrived at United as a four-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid and has also lifted the World Cup with France. Regarded as one of the world’s best defenders during his time in Spain, the centre-back knows what it takes to win some of football’s most prestigious trophies.

However, the United defender has only played 21 league games under Erik ten Hag this season, making 30 appearances across all competitions. Varane has criticised the unrelenting demands of football, which he views as responsible for lowering the number of experienced players across the Premier League.

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“The average age is falling and experienced players able to talk about these subjects are disappearing,” Varane told GQ. “In the Premier League, there are fewer and fewer players over the age of 30.

“I am thinking of the younger generations and not putting them off high-level sport. The objective should not be to play until injured or out of shape and to always be saying to yourself, 'There is a match in three days'.

“It's really totally different from playing a match every four to five days or playing every three days. The risk of injury is high and it's difficult to maintain the energy needed to give the fans the spectacle they pay for.”

Varane's contract at Old Trafford is set to expire at the end of the season. Now 30 years old himself, Varane has had a number of injuries to contend with this season already and is now set