'The project didn't suit me' - Raphael Varane makes Manchester United retirement admission

Raphael Varane admits he would have loved to have finished his playing career at Manchester United. The 31-year-old was released by United at the end of last season and joined Italian club Como on a free transfer as he looked to extend his professional career.

However, the World Cup winner announced his shock retirement last month after he suffered a knee injury on his Como debut against Sampdoria at the start of the season.

Varane enjoyed a star-studded career in which he won four Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles with Real Madrid as well as the FA Cup and League Cup in his three years at Old Trafford.

In an ideal world, he would have stayed for an extra year at United but he admits that the club's project didn't suit him at a time when he only wanted to play one game a week.

"At the start of my last season at Manchester United, I was already telling myself that I would have liked to finish there, to extend the adventure a little," he told L'Equipe. "It didn’t happen, and the summer was very eventful. I was looking for something special, and that’s how I found Como. With United, I finished with a victory in the cup, but I already knew that the club’s project didn’t suit me.

"Como was a project that stood out, it wasn’t exotic, not financial, but humanly it made sense, and it still does, since I’m going to stay with them. I also wanted to play only once a week."