Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has revealed he initially struggled to adjust to life in the Spanish capital and felt overwhelmed by playing for a club the size of Los Blancos.
The France international was signed by former Los Blancos boss Jose Mourinho from Lens as a teenager. He impressed many in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu but then struggled for 18 months with injury after suffering a serious knee injury.
Since establishing himself in the first team squad under Carlo Ancelotti, Varane has become one of the most highly-rated young defenders in the world.
Speaking to France Football magazine, the 21-year-old said life wasn’t always easy and he felt overwhelmed at first.
“Strangely enough I didn’t know what it would be like until I arrived at [Madrid airport] Barajas and saw 60 journalists waiting for me. I quickly realised the change was going to be severe,” Varane said.
“Nothing was going to be like it was before and I wasn’t expecting it. When you are 18 it’s not obvious and I wasn’t ready to live that way.
“To be honest it took me time to accept it and get used to the consequences of my decision [to sign]. At that time I was getting ready to enter a dressing room full of all these stars and the media pressure scared me a little.”
