'Not scared' - Raphael Varane praises Erik ten Hag for Manchester United captaincy change

Raphael Varane has praised Erik ten Hag for his bravery after deciding to make Bruno Fernandes Manchester United captain.

Harry Maguire has been demoted to fifth-choice at centre-back under Ten Hag and so a change felt inevitable. Fernandes captained two-thirds of United's games last year and has now been officially appointed as their skipper.

Varane was United's captain against Lyon, a pre-season friendly United won 1-0, and believes Ten Hag showed strength by making the decision. He's praised the Dutchman for his leadership and showing he's 'not afraid' to make tough decisions.

"He wants a team with character and he's the leader so he has to show it himself," Varane told ESPN. "He's not scared to take these decisions and take that responsibility.

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"That is what we expect from the manager. He did it so I think, with things like this, you show by example.

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"He knows exactly what he wants. He's shown that determination and from the first day we've known exactly what we've had to do and where he wants to go. It's all clear for the players and for the team and we have a good connection with the manager."

"We need players with character and personality," Varane added. "If you want to win big trophies you need that kind of character.

"The difference between a good team and a top team is sometimes something mental. We need to believe, we need determination and the character of the players is something important."

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