It was very easy to mistake Raphael Varane for a seasoned professional and not an 18-year-old prospect as he joined up with his Real Madrid team-mates on the club’s North American tour. With the attitude and conduct of a long-time performer, Varane looked perfectly assured as he took his place next to compatriot Karim Benzema as the two answered the media’s questions on a beautiful sunny July day in Los Angeles: Los Blancos were one of many European sides present in the United States during the 2011 Herbalife World Football Challenge.
Born in the city of Lille, the young Frenchman was quickly snapped up by local side Racing Club Lens, where he grew for eight years, molding his career next to starlets such as Gael Kakuta, now at Chelsea, and Timothee Kolodziejczak of Lyon.
Taking the escalator up the establishment’s pyramid, Varane was a member of the club’s Under-19 division at 17, being a good two years younger than the rest of his peers. In November 2010, former Lens first-team manager Jean-Guy Wallemme surprisingly invited the youngster to train with the senior side ahead of an important match in Ligue 1 against Montpellier.
Varane showed promise in his first “mixed party” with the first team, and was even named in the starting line-up of what proved to be a 2-0 victory over the south coast side – Lens’ third clean sheet of the season. He quickly won plaudits for his maiden performance, not least from within his own team. “I was surprised by what Raphael showed. Especially against Montpellier, as he had to face a big player in Olivier Giroud, who was last year’s top scorer in Ligue 2”, declared then team-mate David Pollet.
A burgeoning star was indeed being born, and the team’s bosses were quick to tie Varane down to a lengthy contract the following February, extending his stay in the Pas-de-Calais until June 2015. However, luck abandoned Lens on the pitch. With the team struggling to manage the required results, spending the 2011/12 campaign in Ligue 2 seemed more and more certain as the days went by. The team would eventually be relegated, opening the door for Varane and Lens’ other stars to look for an escape route and avoid the French second tier.
At first, it seemed as if the young centre-back was bound for Manchester United, before a personal intervention from Zinedine Zidane proved too strong to ignore, effectively paving the way for a switch to Madrid, with club chairman Gervais Martel confessing that such an offer could not be refused. “Even if we had remained in
Ligue 1, Raphael Varane would have departed Lens as he is a phenomenon!”, commented the Lens supremo. “He will play for Real Madrid under the leadership of Jose Mourinho whom he has already met, as well as Zinedine Zidane.”
As Real Madrid shed their 2010/11 skin and adopted a new coat last summer, Varane was one of the club’s lowest profile players. The hype was certainly there as he was – and continues to be – heralded as France’s future defensive star, but there were question marks posed over the ability of the Lille-born stopper to shine as Los Blancos’ newest Galacticos entertained the masses across the pond, with the likes of fellow arrivals Fabio Coentrao and Nuri Sahin already established players in Portugal and Germany, respectively.
Donning the number 19 jersey that had previously been worn by the likes of Walter Samuel and Antonio Cassano, Varane made his debut as a substitute against David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy, a match the Whites would eventually win 4-1.
Four days later in San Diego, he would start against Chivas Guadalajara, putting on a wonderful display and standing out amongst the stars of Mourinho’s Real Madrid, Version 2.0. The Frenchman went on to make seven appearances in eight pre-season matches, all of which ended as wins for his new side.
As the actual football started back in Spain however, it was clear that Mourinho would be sticking with his Pepe-Ricardo Carvalho partnership in the centre of defence after a successful previous season for the Portuguese duo. Pitted against a Barcelona side lauded by many as the best team of all-time, the former Chelsea manager is no rotation sympathiser. And with the winning formula Mourinho has devised at present, regular playing time for Varane might be hard to come by.
But that does not mean that the French starlet is already looking at a future away from the Santiago Bernabeu. Varane has excelled every time he has been called upon. The player started both of Real Madrid’s first two league matches this season, scoring in the second with a beautiful flying back-heel in what proved to be a 6-2 demolition of newly promoted side Rayo Vallecano, making him the youngest non-Spanish player to score for the club.
Varane has also been instrumental in Los Blancos’ Champions League campaign this year, making three appearances and ensuring that Real Madrid finished their group stage with a perfect record, with 18 points from six games, 19 goals scored and just two conceded: the best performance of any side in the opening phase.
At this stage, Varane’s next step will be making his senior bow for the French national side. Such an accomplishment for the man of Martinique heritage seems distant at the moment, as national team coach Laurent Blanc admitted that playing time is crucial should the youngster truly want to take a step forward.
“He is one of the most talented players in the France Under-21 squad. We talk about him a lot because he is the youngest player in the team and because he plays for Real Madrid”, confessed Blanc. "I can only hope that he gets the playing time he needs to become a better player and continue developing.”
Mourinho will not be fielding Varane against teams of Barcelona’s magnitude any time soon though and the Frenchman will need to be slowly eased into action against the lesser lights of La Liga. Indeed, Mourinho is well aware that players more experienced than the towering defender have failed to cope with Lionel Messi’s brilliance and Xavi’s astute footballing mind and the “Special One” is still on the lookout for the antidote to Barcelona.
But as the ex-FC Porto coach has oft commented, he will need all of his players in order for his side to topple Barcelona. Varane is one of those he has in mind and Mourinho believes the 19-year-old is set for a bright future. As such, Real Madrid fans are definitely witnessing a future star in the making.
