Raphaël Varane undermines danger of concussion

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Photo: @ManUtd

Manchester United defender Raphaël Varane has recently opened up about the impact of suffering multiple concussions during his career has had on his life.

In an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe, Varane admitted he has suffered from "micro-concussions" as a result of heading the ball in games.

These small concussions can have a cumulative effect, leading to headaches, dizziness, and other problems.

The issue continues to affect the 30-year-old and has forced him out of games this season.

READ MORE: Jan Vertonghen opens up on mental health issues after head injury

Speaking out to help awareness of the potentially fatal consequences of playing with concussion symptoms, Varane said:

The first time I heard about [micro-concussions] was this season when specialists came in to talk to us about it.

Often, as a player, we don't understand and we don't even think about doing a test.

Earlier this season, I headed the ball repeatedly during a match for Man United and felt abnormally tired in the following days, as well as having some eye fatigue.

I reported it to the staff who strongly recommended that I don't play, and I took a test which meant that I missed the next match.

Concussions are a serious injury that can have long-term consequences for players' health.

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And Varane wants to raise awareness on what he considers to be an underrepresented issue in modern football.

My seven-year-old son plays football, and I advise him not to header the ball.

Even if it does not cause immediate trauma, we know that in the long term, repeated shocks are likely to have harmful effects.

I don't know if I will live to be 100, but I know that I have damaged my body.

The former France international believes changes need to be made to ensure players aren't overexposed to head trauma.

As footballers playing at the highest level, we are used to pain, we are a bit like soldiers, tough guys, symbols of physical strength, but these symptoms are almost invisible.

If your leg hurts and you limp, everyone sees it. But with head injuries, it immediately feels weak to say that you are tired, that you have migraines or eye fatigue. So at first, we tell ourselves that it will pass.

We need to talk about the dangers linked to second impact syndrome, and to the repetition of knocks because of head play.

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