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Manchester United defender Raphael Varane said that concussions had damaged his body while emphasising the importance of creating awareness among players about the dangers of heading. Varane said he suffered a concussion before France’s 1-0 defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup quarterfinal. Not only this, but he also went through a situation when his former club Real Madrid slumped to Manchester City in the 2020 Champions League.
I do know that I’ve damaged my body: Raphael Varane
Varane told L’Equipe, “My seven-year-old son plays football and I advise him not to head the ball. For me, that’s essential. Even if it doesn’t cause any immediate trauma, we know that in the long term, repeated shocks can have harmful effects. Personally, I don’t know if I’ll live to be 100, but I do know that I’ve damaged my body. The dangers of headers need to be taught on all amateur football pitches and to young people.”
The Frenchman added, "Earlier this season, I headed the ball repeatedly during a match for Man United and felt abnormally tired in the following days, as well as having some eye fatigue. As footballers playing at the highest level, we are used to pain, we are a bit like soldiers, tough guys, symbols of physical strength, but these symptoms are almost invisible."
Varane called it quits on international career in March 2023 due to a ‘suffocating’ schedule. He has dealt with several injury issues during his tenure with Man United, when he joined it in March 2021.
