Raphael Varane announced that he would be retiring from International football on Thursday. The French defender, who is just 29 years old, decided to call it a day as he was not able to cope with the busy schedule.

The Frenchman played a key part in the last three World Cup campaigns for his country. The central defender reached the pinnacle of his career in 2018 when he won the FIFA World Cup in Russia. He was also the European champion with Real Madrid at that time.

Varane reportedly admitted that the busy schedule was the reason for his early retirement. The defender said, "I gave everything, physically and mentally, But the very highest level is like a washing machine, you play all the time and you never stop. We have overloaded schedules and play non-stop. Right now, I feel like I'm suffocating and that the player is gobbling up the man."

The 29-year-old retired with 93 caps for his nation, representing France between 2012 and 2022. Do you think Varane's retirement is purely based on the work schedule or is there something related to Didier Deschamps that made him do so? Let me know in the comments...