Man Utd's Raphael Varane makes honest admission about life in the Premier League

Raphael Varane reckons the Premier League is the best league in the world – after playing just 12 games for Manchester United.

Varane joined United last summer in a £35million deal from Real Madrid, where he won three La Liga titles, as well as four Champions League crowns.

But it has taken the France World Cup winner just six months to convince him the Premier League is the best – and toughest – league there is, even better than La Liga.

“The intensity is very different,” said Varane.

“The pace of the game is at a really high level. It’s a great experience. I like the atmosphere around the stadiums.

“I like the mentality. It’s very intense but always in good spirits and very positive. This experience for me is great.”

Varane reckons the depth of quality in the Premier League is unlike anywhere else, with the 28-year-old admitting you can never relax or switch off during games.

United were 2-0 up at Aston Villa with 13 minutes left a fortnight ago, but ended up drawing 2-2, their collective lapse in focus underlining Varane's belief.

“The games are very difficult,” said Varane. “You can’t be relaxed, you can be winning a game and you know, if you have 10 minutes to play, anything can happen.

“I think it’s the best league in the world and the intensity is absolutely amazing. Every team has players with top quality.

“Tactically, it’s a very high level and there are a lot of players and coaches from everywhere. So it’s a mix of different cultures and different styles of players and of mentality.

“I think that's why the league is top, because it's the best from everywhere, you know.”