Manchester United center-back Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from international football with the France.
The 29-year-old has decided to end his time with Les Blues following their second-place finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Since his debut in 2013 in a 3-1 win against Georgia, the former Real Madrid defender has made 93 appearances and scored five times for the two-time world champions.
The defender appeared in four tournaments for the French national side and played in three finals, including their triumph in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The defender’s retirement follows that of goalkeeper and former France captain Hugo Lloris after the latter also retired from international duty in January.
The Red Devil’s No. 19 announced his retirement in a lengthy post on his official social media channels, thanking his teammates and the French supporters for their unwavering support throughout the years.
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The post read: “Representing our great country for a decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life.
“Each 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 enter the field.
“I have been thinking about it for several months and decided that it was the right time for me to retire from international football.
The defender further highlighted France’s triumph in Russia 2018 as one of the greatest and most memorable moments of his life.
He added: “I will miss these moments with you (the fans) for sure, but the time has come for the new generation to take over.
“We have a group of talented young players who are ready to take over, who deserve a chance and who need you.”
Les Blues’ head coach Didier Deschamps revealed he was aware of the decision beforehand and thanked the serial winner for his time with the team.
“Raphael called me a few days ago to explain that he wanted to end his international career. He’s an intelligent boy who knows how to take the time to think about it and weigh up the pros and cons before deciding,” Deschamps told Sky Sports.
“Raphael believes he has reached the end of his adventure with the French team. I’ve been in a similar situation to him, I understand his arguments and respect his decision.
“As our paths separate, I wanted to salute his honesty, his unfailing commitment to the blue jersey. Raphael has played a central role on and off the field for the past decade.”
Varane has featured eighteen times for Manchester United this season, with the most recent being the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal on Wednesday.
The news will almost certainly be welcomed by his club manager, Erik Ten Hag, as he [Varane] becomes one less player to worry about for international duty as United nears the business end of the season and needs everyone to stay as healthy as possible.
