Chris Smalling has been an integral part of the Roma team for a number of years now but his game has enhanced further under Jose Mourinho.
Raphael Varane hailed as 'the boss' after Manchester United response
23.09.2022 - 17:13 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Raphael Varane has been hailed as 'the boss' after he rediscovered his form for Manchester United this season.
Varane was signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 2021 summer transfer window after a trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid. But his start at United under Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick was underwhelming, with injuries derailing his performances.
Since the appointment of Erik ten Hag, however, Varane has become a rock at the back for the Reds. Alongside Lisandro Martinez, the 29-year-old has shown the sort of quality which was expected when he joined from Madrid.
ALSO READ: United fans say the same thing as Varane helps beat Rangnick
Now Rio Mavuba — who earned 13 caps for France in defensive midfield — has praised his fellow countryman for returning to his best at Old Trafford. "He is the boss, the big brother of this [France] squad and he is especially important in the absence of certain senior players," Mavuba told L'Equipe.
"It shows how important he is after a tough year. He was at Real Madrid for a long time and then there was this transfer to Manchester United and small problems.
"But we saw that even the greats sometimes need time to adapt. He is now getting back to his best."
Varane's impressive displays for United have kept club captain Harry Maguire out of the starting line-up at the Theatre of Dreams since the defeat to Brentford. The Frenchman featured at the heart of a back three on Thursday night as Didier Deschamps side beat Rangnick's Austria 2-0 in the Nations League.
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