Jonathan Varane dismisses comparison to brother and Manchester United defender Raphael – Man United News And Transfer News

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Sporting Gijón defender Jonathan Varane has spoken on the pressures of being compared to his older brother and Manchester United defender, Raphael Varane.

Younger brother Jonathan has distanced himself from comparisons to Rapha and wants to build a career in the game on his own merit.

As reported by Spanish media outlet AS, the Gijón man accepts Rapha has had an impact on his footballing journey but says he wants to be out of his illustrious brother’s shadow.

“I am not my brother because I am Jonathan Varane. He (Raphael) has had an impact on my career.

When they see Jonathan Varane, they actually see Raphael. I have had to put up with it since I was little,” claims Jonathan.

The 22-year-old was keen to tell AS that he is different from his big brother and hopes to distance himself from Rapha’s image.

“My name is Jonathan and I want to be myself, to distance myself from that image of my brother; I am different from him, I like to repeat that,” he said.

Like his brother, Jonathan started his footballing life at Lens before moving to Spain but the younger sibling’s move from his homeland wasn’t quite as grand with Raphael joining Real Madrid in 2011.

However, since moving to Gijón, Varane has fought his way into the first team and is confident his rise will continue.

“I’ve gained confidence in myself, I’ve learned a lot, I’ve worked a lot, and the coaching staff has helped me. I’m a player with more confidence and a desire to learn,” he added.

Despite wanting to distance himself from his brother, if Jonathan was to achieve what Raphael has achieved in the game, it would be a memorable career.

Raphael has scooped a whopping 20 trophies in an outstanding run to date, including four Champions League titles with Madrid and a World Cup trophy with France.