Raphael Varane is a French international football player who currently features for the Spanish and European giants Real Madrid. He plays as a central defender and is rated as one of the most promising young players in the world.
Varane commenced his youth football career at French club Lens and played for their youth academy until 2010, when he was drafted into the first team. He was an instant success for the French club in the 2010-11 season, scoring twice in 23 Ligue 1 appearances.
Varane was signed by Madrid in June 2011 on a six-year contract with Lens getting paid €10 million as the transfer fee. He made his debut for Los Blancos against Racing Santander on September 21, 2011 in La Liga, with the game ending in a goalless draw.
Varane continued to play from time to time for Madrid in 2011-12 under Jose Mourinho and is also part of the first team for the 2012-13 campaign, having impressed everyone at the club.
Varane made his international debut for France in March 2013 when he started for the former European and world champions in a 3-1 victory over Georgia in a World Cup qualifier.
