Varane: I'd love to watch a match with our fans

Saturday 28 January 2023 07:00

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane wants to attend a match with our “amazing” fans, but only when he cannot experience the “special connection” from the pitch.

The World Cup winner recently praised the atmosphere that our supporters have generated this season and particularly during the electrifying victory over Manchester City earlier this month. 

As everybody knows, we also have the best away support in football and that much was obvious during the raucous Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg win at Nottingham Forest in midweek. 

Varane has spent his illustrious career playing in front of passionate crowds and he is loving the experience at United so far, and particularly in a season when Erik ten Hag’s Reds have forged closer bonds with our incomparable fanbase.

So would he like to join the fans at a game, home or away? 

“Yeah, definitely,” Rapha told us on Friday with a smile. “I think if you really have this passion for the football, I think it is an amazing experience!”

Rapha: The atmosphere this season is amazing Video

Rapha: The atmosphere this season is amazing

Raphael Varane believes the players have a better chance of success thanks to the improved connection with our fans...

As United prepare for four home matches in a row, we sat down with the imperious Frenchman to glean his assessment of the team’s relationship with the club’s supporters. “I think it is a great relationship, I think there is a good connection with our fans,” he explained. 

“The atmosphere for this season is something amazing. I think it is a real support when we want to score a goal, when we have to defend the score, so I think it is very helpful when we are on the pitch. It is like having one more player.”
Varane’s displays of passion towards the fans have seemingly become more common in recent months, after he was seen geeing up the crowd and wildly celebrating goals by the stands. Rapha feels like his connection with the supporters is getting stronger and stronger all the time. 

"Yeah, I think during matches, sometimes it is important to feel the energy, sometimes we need it and especially when you are a little bit tired and you want to win the game,” he told us. 

“I think it is very helpful and, yeah, we can feel the support and the connection when we do some movement to activate the support, they always respond and that is a great feeling. That's extra energy and it's very important. I think the connection is something special at the moment.”

Away from the match, Varane is also feeling the love in his everyday life and admits his interactions with United fans spur him on. “Honestly, it is always positive,” said the centre-back. 

“We can feel the support, there is some encouragement and, yeah, always thinking about the next game and only focused on that. It is always positive.”

United v Reading kicks off at 20:00 GMT on Saturday and you can listen to live radio commentary via our app.

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