"When you play a kid, the kid becomes your kid for life" - Mourinho names Manchester United star as the player he enjoyed coaching the most
Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho has named Manchester United defender Raphael Varane as the player he enjoyed coaching the most.
Mourinho, who has been the manager of several top European clubs, coached Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013. On the other side, French defender Varane joined Real Madrid from RC Lens in July 2011. As a result, from 2011 to 2013, the Frenchman was coached by Jose Mourinho.
During an interview with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube podcast FIVE, the Portuguese manager lauded Varane. Mourinho said he likes coaching the players who can offer him their sheer football ability and one such player for him was Raphael Varane. He said:
"The players I most enjoyed are the players that gave me everything. When you play a kid, the kid becomes your kid for life. I look to Varane at the end of his career. He is my kid."
Before leaving Real Madrid in 2021, Varane made 360 appearances for the side, bagging 17 goals and seven assists. Since joining Manchester United, the Frenchman has made 85 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring two goals and providing an assist.
Manchester United are looking forward to signing £60 million defender in summer transfer window: Report
According to Eurosport, Erik ten Hag's Manchester United are looking forward to signing Gleison Bremer from Seria A giants Juventus. As stated in the report, Juventus can potentially demand £60 to £70 million for the Brazilian defender.
Ten Hag is keen to build a solid defense for the Red Devils, as the likes of Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, Raphael Varane, and Victor Lindelof could depart from Old Trafford in the next transfer window.
Bremer joined Juventus from Torino in July 2022 for a reported transfer fee of €44 million. Since then, he has made 68 appearances for the Old Lady, in which he has bagged seven goals and an assist.
Moreover, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri also considers the Brazilian defender a crucial part of his playing XI. Apart from Gleison Bremer, the Red Devils have also been linked to Jules Kounde, Matthijs de Ligt and Marc Guehi in the last few months, as per The Hard Tackle.