Raphael Varane: Man Utd squad must understand fan importance of Manchester derby | OneFootball

Raphael Varane has urged his Manchester United teammates to prove their bond with supporters by giving their all in the Manchester derby.

The squad has previously been accused of lacking character and genuine passion for United, although those concerns have gone out the window in recent weeks as Erik ten Hag has taken the team to four Premier League victories in a row.

A 3-1 victory over Arsenal was a significant result but face the biggest test of Ten Hag's reign so far on Sunday when they travel across Manchester to face reigning champions , and Varane warned his teammates that they must rise to the occasion.

"The rivalry comes mainly from the fans, it's important for them and we respect that," Varane told L'Equipe. "We want to make them happy, so we want to fight and win against teams like City and .

"You have to feel what the fans expect from you and what they want. It is very important."

Varane himself has not avoided criticism from supporters, having yet to live up to expectations following his move from Real Madrid in 2021, but France manager Didier Deschamps insisted his countryman will have been struggling with the malaise that has plagued United.

"He has not been at his best but is his club at its best?" Deschamps said when asked about Varane recently.

"It is not his happiest period. But aside from that, Raphael has such a story with us. He has sufficiently demonstrated what he is capable of doing. It is up to him to turn the recent trend around."