Varane's ongoing battle with his body before announcing retirement: Ansser Sadiq

The Frenchman has shocked fans of the sport by announcing his retirement at the young age of 31.

Lloris told L’Equipe: “When he was on the pitch we didn’t lose very often. He had this reassuring aspect, and besides what we showed on the pitch, there was everything we saw behind the scenes.”

The former Tottenham goalkeeper added: “We saw him fight against his physique and follow his bodybuilding and injury prevention programmes, which took a lot of time, energy, and effort.

“He constantly fought against his body. He pushed the machine to its capacity, and it’s remarkable. He constantly pushed his limits.”