© zumapress.com
Raphael Varane told the French newspaper "L'Equipe" openly what he does not recommend his son to do on the football field and about the difficulties of being a top-level footballer:
"My seven-year-old son likes to play football and I advise him to head the ball as rarely as possible.
Even if he does not experience any injuries, we know that in the long run, such constant heading of the ball could have harmful consequences.
I really do not know if I will live until 100 years old, but I know that I have injured my body... And I can feel it.
At the beginning of the season, in a few "Manchester United" matches, I headed the ball several times and in the following days, I felt extremely exhausted, even in my eyes.
As footballers, playing at the highest level, we are accustomed to pain, we are somewhat similar to soldiers, strong men, symbols of physical strength, but these symptoms are practically invisible."
