Varela hoping for extended Manchester United run

Guillermo Varela hopes to maintain a place in the Manchester United team

Manchester United are renowned for giving younger players a chance in the first team, but Guillermo Varela may have to wait some time for his next chance.

The Uruguayan has played well this season during Matteo Darmian’s absence due to injury. However, with the latter back at full health and the team in desperate need of consistency going forward, the young defender may be forced to watch from the bench.

The 22-year-old was thrust into the spotlight following Darmian’s injury against West Ham in December. The subsequent Champions League clash proved Varela’s worth, as he was able to perform decently despite a good opponent in Wolfsburg. He also had a decent showing against Bournemouth in the Premier League, though both of the two starts ended in defeat for Manchester United.

Varela believes those matches have given him confidence to continue improving, as he explained to ManUtd.com:

"“It gave me a kind of inner calm to say that I could compete at the level of the Champions League. Then, I knew I can be here and I can play. After being in the squad a few times and then featuring in a number of games, you start to feel that you are capable of turning out in the starting XI and performing at the level the team requires. But, of course, I need to keep working hard, I can’t start believing that I’ve arrived because that’s clearly not the case.”"

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Unfortunately, Varela picked up an injury in the under-21s’ 7-0 thrashing of Norwich earlier in the week. Depending on the severity of the injury, it could affect the defender’s development going forward and could hinder his chances of continuing with the senior team. Significant injuries at this stage in a player’s career can derail any plans of improvement.

As such, the Uruguay international is hoping the injury will minor and that his good showings will lead to further opportunities and a lengthy stay with United. He shed some light on how the first few years with the team have unfolded and how they’ve affected his current situation:

"“The first year was really a period where I was settling in. In the second year, I went out on loan [to Castilla] and now I’m back at the club again and the manager has been giving me the chance to show what I can do, so I’m very pleased to be getting this opportunity.”"

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"“Right now, I can say that I have adapted 100 per cent to the English game. I’m used to the pace and physicality just now. I think I’ve learned about everything! But I’ve really developed and learned about the physical aspect of my game. The football here is very physical in comparison to Uruguay or other parts of the world, where the emphasis is more on technique and tactics. But here you have to battle harder and have more strength when you’re playing and that’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned.”"

Louis van Gaal did give the young defender a couple of opportunities with the team but, as already described, those appearances came as a result of injuries to other defenders. Darmian is back in the team, and fellow youth player Cameron Borthwick-Jackson has been superb thus far, effectively shutting the door on any chance of Varela making his way into the starting lineup.

For the foreseeable future, it appears his only opportunities will come in the Europa league – as winning the league isn’t heavily sought after and the competition is often used for youth experience. Additionally, the first team players will need breaks from some matches to rest for the FA Cup and Premier League.

Next: Carrick says United need to keep going

Guillermo Varela’s desire to stay with Manchester United and get an extended run shows he has the right attitude, but as of now he just doesn’t have the right ability to make his way back into the team.

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