Raphael Varane is appreciating the early stages of Erik ten Hag’s leadership at Manchester United and looks forward to competing for championships with the team in 2022–23. The Premier League team is attempting to rebound from a difficult previous campaign that saw them finish sixth in the standings and miss out on Champions League qualification.
Varane is raring to go, with the centre-back – who started alongside Victor Lindelof in the 4-0 win over Liverpool – hoping for a big improvement in the new manager’s debut campaign with the club. “Personally, it’s an opportunity for me to have a real pre-season, to get fit and to be ready because it’ll be a very long season with a lot of games and high intensity,” the France international told Sky Sports.
“I will try to be ready and to be fit, and obviously I’m very excited for this season coming and I’m very happy to be with Manchester and in this great club. We will try to win some trophies.”
Ten Hag is expected to implement his own playing style with his new side – with fans given a glimpse of how that could look in the 4-0 triumph over Liverpool – and Varane says the squad understand the manager’s demands but still wants further improvement. “We know exactly how we want to play. The manager explained very well what we have to do and it’s absolutely clear,” he said. “So we know we have to be very fit because it’s a very physical way to play. “We are happy with the result obviously but we know we have to work very hard still to be ready for the start of the season. “I think we know exactly what we have to do – we have to improve in everything.” He added: “We have ambition for this season but also, most important, we have to work with humility. I think it’s the most important. “As I said, it’s just the beginning so we have to improve in everything.”