Varane quits France ahead of Euro 2024 qualifiers

TIME UP: France's Raphael Varane during a training session at the Al Sadd Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

Raphael Varane won’t be facing Ireland on March 27 after following fellow France World Cup winner Hugo Lloris into international retirement.

At just 29, he had been tipped to captain Les Bleus for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers but the Manchester United defender has parked his journey in the French shirt at 93 caps.

With his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema also announcing before the recent World Cup he will no longer represent his country, 24-year-old Kylian Mbappé is being tipped for the armband. They open against the Netherlands at Stade de France on March 24 before travelling to Dublin in a group which also includes Greece and Gibraltar.

France are well stocked in the central-defensive department and this development could see Arsenal’s William Saliba gain promotion to the starting line-up.

He was caught napping on New Year’s Eve when Irish teen striker Evan Ferguson, expected to back from his ankle injury in time for the France showdown, scored his first Premier League goal for Brighton and Hove Albion.

Varane recovered from injury to make the World Cup in Qatar but came up short in his bid for a second successive gold by losing on penalties to Argentina.

His departure from the international scene so young was put down to psychological and physical wear and tear and the swansong statement read: "Representing our great country for a decade has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Each time I wore this special blue jersey, I felt immense pride.

“The duty to give everything, to play with my heart and to win every time we entered the field. I have been considering this for several months and have decided that it is the right time for me to retire from international football.

“As a child, I remember following France 98, this team, these players who made us experience indescribable emotions. I dreamed of doing like our heroes and, 20 years later, I had one of the best experiences of my life, one that made me really proud.

“We brought the Cup home!! I will never forget him. I still feel every single emotion I felt that day, July 15, 2018. It was one of the greatest and most memorable moments of my life.

“This victory that we won together would never have been possible without the support of Didier Deschamps, of each of the members of the management and our staff during these years, of my teammates who defended our shirt at each of our matches..

“But more importantly, this victory would not have been possible without the support of each of you along this path. Your enthusiasm, the celebrations and the memories of our return to France will remain etched in my mind forever.

“Even after the defeat in the final last year, with certainly a great run, you welcomed us as heroes when we returned. To each and every one of you, a thousand times THANK YOU!

“I will miss these moments with you for sure, but the time has come for the new generation to take over. We have a group of talented young players who are ready to take over, who deserve a chance and who need you.”