Raphael Varane: I rejected United and told Zidane to call back before joining Real Madrid
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Updated 10/09/2015 at 11:03 GMT
Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has claimed that he had a meeting with Alex Ferguson before deciding to sign for Real Madrid in 2011.
Raphael Varane has been a transfer target for clubs including Chelsea
Image credit: Eurosport
The 22-year-old French defender told the Journal du Dimanche that he spoke to Alex Ferguson personally about moving to Old Trafford.
In the end, however, a concerted effort from Zinedine Zidane and Real club president Florentino Perez convinced the then-teenager to sign for Real instead.
"It was the craziest time of my life; I was revising for the baccalaureate, the phone wouldn’t stop ringing, I visited Real’s facilities, met Alex Ferguson,” he said.
It was the phone call from Zidane which convinced him to move from Lens to the Spanish giants - despite the fact that he cheekily told the World Cup-winning legend to call him back because he was busy revising.
"It was my insouciance which made me do that," he admitted.
"It actually made me strong: you have to be a bit cheeky to cope with that sort of pressure at such a young age.
"But to be honest after that phone call my head was elsewhere. I didn't get any revision done at all."
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