Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has opened up about his fitness struggles.

The Frenchman has not looked the same player at United as he did during his peak at Real Madrid.

Despite retiring from France duty, Varane has still been unable to keep himself fit for more than a few weeks at a time.

“The average age is falling and experienced players able to talk about these subjects are disappearing," Varane told GQ.

“In the Premier League, there are fewer and fewer players over the age of 30.

“I am thinking of the younger generations and not putting them off high-level sport. The objective should not be to play until injured or out of shape and to always be saying to yourself, 'There is a match in three days'.

“It's really totally different from playing a match every four to five days or playing every three days. The risk of injury is high and it's difficult to maintain the energy needed to give the fans the spectacle they pay for."