Raphael Varane Heaps Praise on Real Madrid Boss Zinedine Zidane for Keeping Him on His Toes

Fresh from putting pen to paper on new five-year deal, Real Madrid defender Raphaël Varane has heaped praise on his manager Zinedine Zidane for developing his game and never allowing him to rest on his laurels.

The 24-year-old has taken his game to another level under the tutelage of Zidane and he admits having the belief of his manager has allowed him to brush of all the criticism which comes his way as he is confident of his abilities. 

Varane - currently on international duty with France - said of his manager, via AS: "He has invested a lot in me. In my attitude, my play, in the risks that I take. He is someone who doesn't let me stay in my comfort zone.

"Zidane is someone who has lots of experience. It is a great opportunity to take advantage of and improve.

"I have my style, they can criticise me for that, it's not a problem. I try to play based on what I can do.

"I believe that I am more complete now, at 24, than I was at 18. In my position, we speak about maturing at around 28 years of age. It's normal to evolve.

Since arriving at the Bernabeu from Lens in 2011, Varane has secured two league titles and three Champions League winners medals and speaking of last season, the 24-year-old added: "Last season I played almost 40 games with the team. 

"We won the Champions League, the Super Cup in Europe, in Spain and the league. In such a short time, a lot happened. I am happy, it has developed very quickly.

Despite Frenchman's relationship with national compatriot Karim Benzema, Varane insisted he has nothing to reveal about the strikers exclusion from Didier Deschamps's side. 

He added: "I speak with him regularly. I will end up being his attorney. Karim is a very good player. 

"Now, with him, the situation is that he is not in the squad. The manager has made it clear, there is nothing more to add."