Varela Form Impresses Rojo & Mata

While much of the recent focus on Manchester United’s emerging young players has been centred on Marcus Rashford - understandably after his four goals and Player of the Month success - the superb form of Guillermo Varela has also been highlighted, by two of his team-mates.

The Uruguayan defender has excelled since breaking into the first team for the Barclays Premier League match against West Ham on 5 December and, after sitting out the weekend's defeat at West Bromwich Albion, he could return to face Liverpool in Thursday's Europa League Round of 16 tie at Anfield.

Varela joined United in the summer of 2013 and played for the Under-21s before spending the 2014/15 season on loan at Real Madrid Castilla. His return to Old Trafford this campaign has led to eight senior outings under Louis van Gaal so far and a burgeoning friendship with a fellow South American.

“I am very happy for him as he has been playing well,” Marcos Rojo explained in an interview with MUTV. “It’s not too long since we met and we’ve become mates - he’s also my chauffeur! He takes me to all the matches as we live close by, so he’s been doing all the driving which is fine by me.

“In the last few months we have spent a lot of time together and we have become really good mates. He’s a really good guy, a great person and a big player for United.”

Juan Mata has also struck up a companionship with young Varela and the Spaniard is impressed by the way he has performed on the flank for United. “I'm very pleased and I'm very happy for him because he is doing very good on the right side,” Juan told MUTV. “He's going forward, he's defending very well, he's being aggressive and he's performing like he has been playing for 10 years before.

“That is very difficult when you are young and in a stadium such as Old Trafford. He's a very competitive guy, he's very good for the team and the dressing room so we are very happy for him.”

During another interview with MUTV on Friday, Varela was asked how it feels to be praised by Rojo and the 22-year-old prospect was humble in his response, paying tribute to the Argentina international and also explaining why he is not getting carried away with his recent ascension.

“Of course, when a team-mate of Rojo’s stature praises you, it gives you great satisfaction – it makes me very happy and I’m really pleased,” Varela told us. “We’re friends beyond the pitch as well, we go to matches together and it’s good to have that relationship inside and outside of the team.

“I feel enormous pride in being able to play for a club like Manchester United. I think the important thing is that we keep working, and I want to keep working to keep a regular place in the team so that in time I can reach 50, 100 or 200 games in the shirt.”