Real Madrid teenager Raphael Varane has been tipped to become a better player than Laurent Blanc, the former World Cup and European champion and existing France coach.
The prediction was made Friday by the 18-year-old French central defender's club manager, Jose Mourinho.
"He'll be better than Laurent Blanc," Mourinho told a press conference.
"Varane has the same intelligence, the same calmness, the same presence as Laurent Blanc on the pitch. But, putting aside the respect I have for Blanc, Varane is a lot quicker."
He added: "For now he's still a kid, he's only 18. But I hope and I believe that when he reaches his maturity as a footballer at 26-27 he'll be better than Blanc."
Varane has impressed since joining Madrid from Lens this season, and is expected to start in place of the suspended Pepe in Saturday's league trip to Osasuna.
Source: AFP
